ISLAMABAD: The PML-N appears to be following a two-pronged strategy on the Panamagate crisis, where it refuses to concede that it has anything to explain as far as the prime minister is concerned and continues its verbal attack on the opposition, especially the PTI.

But on the other hand, it has also reached out to the opposition to discuss the formation of a commission.

The prime minister’s absence from the National Assembly on Tuesday raised enough eyebrows when its legislators, associated with the strategic media cell of the government based in the Prime Minister Office, held a press conference, launching a blistering attack on the opposition.

This offensive was, on the face of it, aimed at the opposition, the PTI in particular. But it was motivated by what the besieged PML-N felt was a conspiracy to dislodge or destabilise its government.

In background discussions, a well-connected ruling party MNA said, “An overwhelming majority in the party believes that a conspiracy is being hatched against the government in the garb of the Panama Papers. And there is consensus that even if we go down, we will go down fighting.”

He explained that the government was open for negotiations with the opposition, but it would not agree to an inquiry that focused on the prime minister and his children; the party fears that such a move would be manipulated to politically sideline the Sharif family.

Hence, the blistering attacks from the prime minister in his recent speeches and from his party members.

According to the legislator, “The government believes in across-the-board investigations but it will not allow the prime minister to be singled out. Along with hundreds of others, the PM’s children will also face the commission.”

He points out that the prime minister has already written a letter to the chief justice for setting up the commission.

However, when asked whether the party was acting a bit paranoid in seeing a conspiracy behind the Panama leaks, government officials and party members do not agree. They insist that ‘invisible hands’ are behind the increasing opposition pressure for detailed investigations into the offshore companies owned by the children of the prime minister.

A second government source points out that the manner in which the PTI and PPP are closing ranks against the prime minister says it all. “All this cannot happen in a country like ours just like that.”

This sense of besiegement or belief that the government is the victim of a conspiracy is linked to the friction between the government and the military.

A third senior PML-N lawmaker, who actively takes part in the deliberations held at the PM Office, claims that there are many issues – apart from the Panama leaks – that have strained the relations. “Tuesday’s meeting between the army chief and the prime minister was held to address misgivings which have lately come into play between the two sides.”

For instance, the latest thorn in this relationship has been Washington’s failure to provide the promised subsidy to Pakistan for buying F-16s; some are blaming the government for this, said the lawmaker.

Apparently, the military feels that the government is too busy dealing with the Panama controversy to realise what is happening in the US. Other issues that strained relations between the government and the military have been discussed considerably in the media over the past few months.

“That there are misgivings that need to be cleared up is evident from the meetings of Shahbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan with senior military leaders in recent days.

“They usually do the fire-fighting when it comes to Rawalpindi,” commented an official. 

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2016