A VISIT to the 360-acre Sharif estate, or the famous Raiwind Farm, is quite an experience. A look at the lush green, well-planned and highly secured estate that houses the Sharif family normally leaves one awestruck. But what one found extraordinarily mind-boggling during a recent visit to the estate was the calm on the face of Nawaz Sharif at a time of political turmoil in the country.

Here was the country’s top opposition leader, right in the midst of a major protest campaign, which he himself had called a “defining moment”, and was showing no sign of being anxious or worried. There were no discussions going on about the progress in the ‘long march’, about the number of people who had been arrested, or those who may have gone into hiding to avoid arrest.

If there were any control rooms or media centres to monitor the anti-government movement, they were not to be seen anywhere close to the farm’s main palatial building, or the PM House, as it is called. A couple of media aides were busy making arrangements for a series of interviews that had been lined up for the day for Mian Sahib.

After the first television interview, Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Asif also joined in. But then too there was hardly any discussion about the success or failure of the ‘long march’. If there was some small talk, it was largely focussed on one point: ‘the developments taking place in Islamabad’.

“A lot is happening,” said an informed journalist, who still moves in the right circles. There were a couple of knowing nods. No one even tried to find out details of these “developments”. There were a couple of remarks about President Asif Ali Zardari and the way he had betrayed his political allies, a brief assessment of whether Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has the guts to assert his authority and challenge the president in order to defuse the current political tension. And then someone said it was time for Friday prayers, and all the faithful abandoned the discussion and moved towards the Raiwind Farm’s own mosque.

Of course, during this entire period the lawyers and many opposition supporters have remained on the street, mustering support for a powerful march towards Islamabad — a campaign which many believe may determine the fate of democracy in the country.

Earlier in his interview with DawnNews TV, Nawaz Sharif repeatedly denied knowledge of a “deal” or “package” being discussed in Islamabad. “Are you not aware of it, or are you not prepared to talk about it?” he was asked. Pat came the reply: “I have absolutely no information about any such development”.

However, he immediately added that he would like Prime Minister Gilani to rise to the occasion, assert his authority as the chief executive, and compel President Zardari to reverse the actions that were the real irritants. He wouldn’t be drawn on the point if the prime minister could muster such courage, but expressed the hope that he does which, in his view, was crucial for “political stability” and “democracy” in the country.

Nawaz Sharif once again singled out President Zardari for his verbal attacks, and said he didn’t blame the PPP or the government for any of the recent actions as, according to him, they were the work of one man sitting in the President House. “Asif Zardari’s fight is with democracy, and not with terrorism,” was his way of describing the president’s current policies and actions. And though he repeatedly said his aim was not to dislodge the government, Mr Sharif made it clear that the responsibility for ensuring stability lies squarely with the government. Without reversing some of the recent actions, no one should expect his party to play ball.

But whatever was going on in his mind was really impossible to read. In fact, it has always been quite difficult to understand Mr Sharif’s game plan. There was surely much more going on through back-channel that perhaps the PML-N chief was aware of, but was not willing to speak about. And with the stake being so high, it was understandable.

Although his commitment to the lawyers’ long march remained, and he was determined to join them for a possible sit-in outside the parliament in Islamabad, he was equally aware of the intense activities going on in the federal capital, where pressure was being brought on the main players to take actions to defuse the situation.

Within hours of the interview in Raiwind, news started to come out from Islamabad of yet another round of crucial meetings, involving the president, the prime minister, the army chief, and many more. Soon there were selective leaks by various sections of the ruling establishment, and the opposition, to different television channels. So now if one TV channel was talking about the deal to lift the ‘governor’s rule’, another was giving “breaking news” of an agreement on a complete set of issues, including the restoration of the PML-N government in Punjab. Yet another TV channel was giving news of its own version of a package deal. As mass confusion prevailed, it took the likes of president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar, and later on Governor Salman Taseer, to deny some of the stuff.

Of course, there’s a lot going on in the federal capital, and even while sitting in his Raiwind Farm, Nawaz Sharif could feel the panic in Islamabad. And perhaps he was also drawing his strength from such developments. In any case, he seemed pretty sure that time was on his side, even if it meant a few more months.

Late-night developments in Islamabad, however, indicated that after some initial signs of a possible package deal, there was once again a deadlock, with President Zardari not willing to offer any concession unless there was willingness in the PML-N camp to back out from the lawyers’ protest march.

Tailpiece

But if President Zardari really wants to find out what has become of the PPP in Punjab, particularly Lahore, he needs to undertake a visit to the provincial capital. If banners and posters are any indication of the popularity of a political party, then the only place where there is a physical demonstration of the presence of the ruling party, it is outside the Governor’s House.

A couple of dozen banners and twenty-odd hoardings and posters of President Zardari and a few other PPP leaders are these days the most prominent landmark for the Governor’s House on the Mall Road. And it seems that in the rest of the city the party doesn’t even exist. It may well be a self-serving exercise for Governor Salman Taseer, but it certainly doesn’t augur well for a party which once ruled the hearts and minds of the people of Lahore.
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