In recent months, the continuous meetings between former caretaker Chief Minister and current Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi and Hamza Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in Lahore have raised concerns within Maryam Nawaz’s camp. Speculation is rife about the nature of these discussions and what might be brewing between the two.
Since Maryam Nawaz became Chief Minister, Hamza Shehbaz has largely disappeared from the political scene and has been sidelined politically. There are even rumours that following the change in ISI leadership, Maryam Nawaz’s government may face increased challenges, as she no longer enjoys the same level of establishment support that was available during Nadeem Anjum’s tenure.
Despite her average performance as Chief Minister so far, Maryam had been benefiting from establishment backing, and her actions were not being scrutinised as closely as they are now. Moving forward, she will need to prove her capability in the role, or the current political setup may not endure.
According to a report by Urdu News, it is not uncommon for a country’s Interior Minister to meet with a leader of the ruling party. However, the context of these meetings between Naqvi and Hamza adds a layer of complexity. Mohsin Naqvi, who served as the most powerful caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab for a year, wielded authority comparable to an elected official due to the political climate. During his tenure, he worked tirelessly, often from 9 AM until 3 AM, driving rapid development projects across Punjab. This pace of governance now poses a challenge for Maryam Nawaz’s administration, as critics note her working hours are more limited, typically from 9 AM to 5 PM, with no engagement afterward.
As a result, her detractors argue that Punjab effectively functions without a Chief Minister for 12 hours a day, and Maryam has yet to create the impact that Naqvi’s administration did. Critics claim her government is mostly visible through TV and newspaper advertisements, while she herself is rarely seen in action.
In this context, it raises eyebrows when Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi travels to Lahore for back-to-back meetings with Hamza Shehbaz, especially given the widespread belief that Maryam has sidelined both her uncle and cousin. Political analysts suggest that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif often laments that Maryam has restricted him to Islamabad, reducing him to being a “Prime Minister of a 17-kilometre radius.” He also feels sidelined in political matters and has not been consulted about Punjab’s affairs.
Moreover, Hamza Shehbaz has been completely cornered, with no visible role in either Punjab or federal politics. However, when Mohsin Naqvi served as caretaker Chief Minister and Shehbaz Sharif was Prime Minister, the relationship between the federal and Punjab governments was considered ideal.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, impressed by Naqvi’s speed, even relinquished his famous “Shehbaz Speed” title in favour of “Mohsin Speed.” The personal and political relationship between the two remains strong to this day, evident from the fact that Shehbaz frequently sends homemade dishes like desi chicken and mutton pulao to Naqvi’s home on weekends.
In the past few months, a new development has emerged as Naqvi regularly visits Hamza Shehbaz upon arriving in Lahore, where they engage in long discussions. While the details of their conversations have not been leaked, Maryam Nawaz’s camp is reportedly worried, with some fearing that a plan may be in the works to reinstate Hamza as Chief Minister.
Since the formation of the PML-N government in Punjab after the 2024 elections, Naqvi has only had one formal farewell meeting with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, despite her being in office for eight months. This is notable, considering that Naqvi comes to Lahore nearly every week, where his residence and the PCB head office are located. Over the past two months, however, Naqvi has made several visits to Hamza Shehbaz’s residence for extended meetings. Their most recent meeting occurred on the evening of 8 October.
Two other factors further illustrate the tension between the federal and Punjab governments. First, after assuming his role as Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi attempted to transfer his preferred police officers from Punjab, but Maryam’s government initially resisted. Eventually, with military intervention, the Punjab government had to release Ali Nasir Rizvi, who was appointed as IG of Islamabad. Rizvi had previously been part of Naqvi’s caretaker team in Punjab. Similarly, Naqvi managed to secure the transfer of former Lahore Commissioner Ali Mohammad Randhawa to Islamabad as Chief Commissioner, a move that displeased Maryam.
The discord between the federal and Punjab governments is also evident from the fact that Hamza Shehbaz has been politically sidelined within his own party since Shehbaz Sharif became Prime Minister and Maryam took over as Chief Minister of Punjab. With no apparent path forward in politics, the growing closeness between Mohsin Naqvi and Hamza Shehbaz raises questions.
While PML-N leadership has been tight-lipped on this matter, a senior party leader, speaking anonymously, suggested that these meetings serve as a message to Maryam to reconsider her current political strategy. The leader revealed that Hamza was recently tasked by the Prime Minister to act as a liaison between Punjab MNAs and MPAs and the Prime Minister’s Office to address their issues. However, Hamza showed little interest in the role, as most of the matters raised by the MNAs and MPAs were related to Punjab, and the provincial government has not been cooperating with them.
When contacted, Hamza Shehbaz’s spokesperson Imran Goraya downplayed the speculation, advising against jumping to conclusions. He confirmed that the meetings between Naqvi and Hamza were private, with no staff present, and suggested that the media should avoid making baseless assumptions. “Mohsin Naqvi is the Interior Minister; he can meet anyone he chooses,” Goraya said, adding, “It would be strange to question why a politician meets with others. We are all here, and the media is too. Nothing will remain hidden, and the outcome of these meetings will eventually become clear.”
