Moonis back in active politics, PML-N forms three-member ‘squad’ to target him

By Iram Salim

Islamabad, April 3 (Pak Destiny)Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid young politician Moonis Elahi is back in active politics after he was implicated in a case in 2010-11.
Sensing him a big challenge for the N-League in future politics especially in Punjab, it has formed a three-member team comprising firebrand Rana Sanaullah, the Punjab law minister, and two MPAs, Zaeem Qadri and Imran Nazir – to take on Moonis in the media and the assembly floor.
Highly placed sources in the PML-N told Pak Destiny that both Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza take Moonis a potential ‘political threat’ and want his men to malign him in media so that he cannot make a good comeback in politics.
“They have tasked the squad to target Moonis both on the floor of the Punjab Assembly and also by media statements,” the sources said.
Moonis after getting acquitted in the NICL case stayed away from the active politics till he contested May 11, 2013 elections on two provincial assembly seats from Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin and won the both.
The PML-Q leadership says its stand that Moonis was framed by N-League in the fake case was vindicated by the Lahore High Court’s decision.
The PML-Q leadership this week relaunched Moonis in a large gathering of PML youth convention at the Muslim League House Lahore.
In his speech Moonis touched national issues as well as pinpointed flaws in the polices of the N-League.
After his return to active politics, the PML-Q will largely bank on him to strengthen the party and make it an alternate for all those in the Muslim League who are not happy with the policies of Sharif brothers.
In a sharp contrast with his contemporaries like Hamza Shahbaz, Moonis is considered more intelligent, cool and has capability to lead the united Muslim League in future in effective way.
Even his detractors in PML-N ranks are of the view that he may lead the united Muslim League one day.
“I think Moonis is more politically groomed and in future there will be a political contest between Bilawal Bhutto led PPP and united Muslim League led Moonis Elahi,” a senior influential PML-N leader from south Punjab told Pak Destiny on the condition of anonymity.
The PML-N leader who is angry with the Sharifs on different issues said Hamza is only trying to copy his father and learning nothing to keep his political friends around.
But those close to Hamza say the Shahbaz junior is fast learning the ways of his father’s style of politics and will be groomed one day to take his father’s position.
The PML-N circles are also worried over the infighting among the Sharifs young generation.
“Once the Sharifs are out of the scene their next generation – Hamza, Mariam, Hasan and Hussain – is not politically groomed enough to take their place.
The PML-N circles believe that the ongoing political infighting between Hamza and Mariam will create more factions of PML in the future.
On the other hand, it will not be easier for Moonis to come out of the ‘shadow’ of the NICL scandal.
Let’s see how he does so and at the same time counters the N-League offensive. – Pak Destiny

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