Hamid Mir Warns PML-N Against Political Complacency, Cites Gilgit-Baltistan Election Outcome
LAHORE: Senior journalist Hamid Mir has cautioned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against political complacency, arguing that the party should not overlook its performance in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it failed to secure a majority despite being in power at the federal level.
In his latest newspaper column, later shared on social media platform X, Mir wrote that political circumstances can change rapidly and suggested that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif may believe his government is difficult to replace because there is no clear alternative.
Commenting on the recent political debate surrounding JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mir wrote that although the statement attributed to Fazlur Rehman would have been better left unsaid, PML-N should remember its past political cooperation with the JUI-F leader. He suggested the ruling party might again need his support if political conditions change.
Mir further argued that if the outcome of the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections resembles the party’s performance in Gilgit-Baltistan, it could become increasingly difficult for PML-N to reverse its political decline.
مسلم لیگ (ن) مت بھولے کہ وفاق میں حکمران ہوتے ہوئے بھی اسے گلگت بلتستان میں اکثریت نہیں ملی۔ اگر آزاد کشمیر کے الیکشن میں بھی مسلم لیگ (ن) کیساتھ وہی کچھ ہوا جو گلگت بلتستان میں ہوا تو پھر اسکے سیاسی زوال کو بریک لگانا مشکل ہو گا ، وقت بدلتے دیر نہیں لگتی https://t.co/XWTd488CpB
— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) July 16, 2026
He also claimed that internal divisions within PML-N could emerge as a major challenge for the party, adding that tensions between PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) could prove damaging for both coalition partners.
Referring to recent criticism of the government by Senator Faisal Vawda, Mir wrote that the senator’s remarks reflect growing political uncertainty and hinted that today’s ruling leaders could find themselves in the opposition in the future.
The views expressed are those of columnist Hamid Mir and do not necessarily reflect established facts or the positions of the political parties mentioned.
