ISLAMABAD/Lahore - After repeated requests from the party leaders and workers, the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) has finally decided to field its Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz Sharif to lead a march on Islamabad jointly with Hamza Shehbaz Sharif.
A multiparty opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced a march from Lahore to Islamabad in a counter move to the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf’s power show in the capital. Preparations for said political activity was underway for last couple of days but it was unclear that Maryam Nawaz will participate in it or not as she remained inactive since the no-confidence motion was tabled in the National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The party lawmakers in background discussions were at consensus that without bringing Maryam into the long march, the party would not be able to do an impressive show as she has become a ‘mob puller’ in absence of her father Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Maryam Nawaz had led the party from the front in its hard time and due to her vocal stance since ousting her father Mian Nawaz Sharif — the three times prime minister in 2016.
She not only addressed huge public gatherings but faced a case in the courts and was jailed for her boldness. She usually went hard on criticising the hidden hands behind Imran Khan.
But she was out of the scene in the entire no-trust saga and party leaders and workers are very anxious to know her strategy and stance on it.
A senior party leader informed that Maryam Nawaz is keen to charge the workers and lead the long march from the provincial capital but like many in the party she too believes that Imran will be sent packing without the march.
However, PML-N finally on Friday announced that a march on Islamabad would jointly be led by Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz Sharif—starting on March 24, from Lahore. Party leaders generally welcomed the move and informed that it is a step aimed at positioning Maryam as the face of the movement to draw crowds. They believe that only Maryam can bring maximum people along with her due to the people’s attachment.
A circular in this regard was also issued by the PML-N’s Punjab chapter in which the district and division level organisations are directed to ensure maximum presence of party’s office-bearers and workers in the long march.
“For the sake of democracy and against increasing inflation, corruption and anti-public policies of the incumbent government, a long march has been planned on the directions of the head of PML-N Mian Nawaz Sharif and Party President Mian Shehbaz Sharif”, the notification reads.
According to the plan conveyed, the long march will start from Lahore on 24th of March and make a stopover at night in Gujranwala.
It will resume the next day to proceed towards Islamabad on 25th of March and again stay at night in Jhelum. Finally a concluding round of said march would start from Jhelum on March 26 and the protesters will stay at night in Rawalpindi to further move towards D-Chowk in Islamabad on next day, where the ruling PTI has also announced a public gathering on same day and same place.
With each passing day, both the government and opposition are increasing the political temperature by furthering their strategies but ultimately it would be a test for the civil as well as security establishment on how they will react if any untoward situation happens in the federal capital.
Sources said that there was little chance of public gatherings taking place in Islamabad after the capital administration Friday imposed a ban on the gathering of more than five persons at a place.