Nawaz does everything right

It seems the man can do no wrong. His maneuverings since returning from hijaz have been well-calculated, and if seen in the context of political intrigue, seem surprisingly bereft of greed. He came and unexpectedly eradicated the equation painlessly doctored by Musharaf for the post-2008 elections in the Punjab and Pakistan. He stood by the Chief Justice and Nawaz's 'heroic' move out of his Model Town residence and across Lahore will at one time or another be used to prop up his status of 'defiance'. While that Long March move was more of a drama - especially since the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and civil society had borne most of the brunt at GPO Chowk on March 15 - the resistance to engage against and bring down the current government shows political maturity. Nawaz is seething with patience - which will unlikely run out despite his probable re-entry into the parliament after the judicial verdict of May 26.

Now with the declaration that the NFC award will take into account factors other than population, Nawaz and the PML-N have gone a step further. While the PML-N has serious issues with regard to its lack of represenatation in the non-Punjab provinces, the willingness to alter the formula of the NFC award is admirable. If the Punjab Assembly can pass a resolution demanding a change and is willing to sacrifice some revenues for the betterment of the other provinces, it would constructively help in creating provincial harmoy, providing PML-N with votes in the smaller provinces and bolstering the federation.

While I do not support Nawaz Sharif, one cannot dismiss his evolution as a politician. From the child of the military, he no longer hesitates in stating that having a large Army has hurt the country by diverting resources and that Kashmir is the source of our poverty. No politician in Pakistan can hope to get away with such statements (made in May 25, 2009 show of 'Bolta Pakistan').

You know that a politician is doing something right, when he/she can use their stature to make what would otherwise be an unpopular statement, and turn it into a convincing argument.