THE Multan sands are shifting. Javed Hashmi is the second Makhdoom from the district to have taken on his party leadership. But unlike his old local rival Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, whose disagreement with the PPP politicians came rather suddenly, the senior PML-N leader has been on the dissent radar for a longer period. Pushed into the background by party stalwarts such as opposition leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar after the 2008 election, Mr Hashmi has been speaking his mind at various forums. His speech in parliament on Thursday was a follow-up to what he had said in his hometown a few weeks ago, that his loyalty was to the country, not to any politician. This could mean one of two things: either the PML-N leaders did not want to intervene and address the issues that have been bothering Mr Hashmi for long, or they tried but failed to check the flight of his thought.

Mr Hashmi has built his case and taken it from his constituency to the party to the National Assembly. He appears determined to create a new niche for himself. PPP lawmakers were happy to see him take a rebellious line during a speech in the National Assembly that saw him repenting his role as a minister under Gen Zia. But whether his latest turn will bring him closer to the rival Zardari camp is not easy to predict. His politics and his so-called positive remarks about the president are an expert concoction and can easily be explained as backhanded compliments if future circumstances so dictate. What can be more reasonably established is that he has drifted too far away from the Sharifs. Not only has he taken on the party leadership by supporting the creation of new provinces, he has asked the Sharifs to apologise for accepting exile in Saudi Arabia during Gen Musharraf's rule. This is a shocking message to his party leadership that derives much moral capital from other politicians' rehabilitation under 'black laws' such as the NRO. Surely, the case of Makhdoom Javed Hashmi demands quick disposal by the PML-N leaders.