What future holds for MNS, much-loved, much-derided Donna of Pakistani politics
She wants it all. She wants absolute power. She wants complete control. She wants blind loyalty. She wants unquestioned obedience. She wants unparalleled fame. She wants to be above every law, above every law court, above every judge. She wants to become Benazir Bhutto.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet our lady of Maryam Nawaz Sharif an audacious, bold, loved by many, loathed by many, revered by droves, rebuked by others damsel in distress. MNS’s meteoric, nah, Shakespearean rise seems to edge closer to its denouement. There is a low hanging swords of Damocles of Accountability Court verdict, a fragile mother who is terminally ill, a faltering, divided party locking horns with estranged establishment, loyalists jumping ship, and an overall pall of uncertainty about her future that looked very promising a mere two years back.

With two absent brothers busy doing ‘business’ in far far-away lands, the vacuum was there waiting for someone to plug. Shahbaz had, and still has, Hamza and Salman Shahbaz. Nawaz only had, and still only has, Maryam. Hassan and Hussain Nawaz had neither the interest, inclination nor the guts to toil in the cruel sport called Pakistani politics. Since the PML-N came into power in 2013 slowly and steadily, MNS became a household name. Dubbed by many as the brain behind Mian Nawaz Sharif’s every deed, MNS rose to become the power behind the throne of Nawaz the King. Some would say that it was her alone who led Nawaz Sharif to the dire straits he presently finds himself in. Well, that is the realm of conjecture where everyone is at liberty to say anything.

Holding no political or public office of substance, MNS set her eyes on the cyber frontier. It certainly goes to her credit that she brought, rather dragged, PML-N, a party dominated by traditional mindset of politics where thana, katcheri dominates, into 21st century. MNS built the social media profile of PML-N from almost scratch and she surely has done a commendable job. The roost previously ruled by Imran Khan’s PTI had a new contender in shape and form of PML-N. And boy did they wrestle it out neck to neck. Every abuse was answered promptly. Every allegation was countered immediately. Every ridiculous meme gave birth to an equally hilarious one from the other side.

If Maryam Nawaz is a saint, she has a past. If Maryam Nawaz is a sinner, she has a future. Either way, our lady of Maryam Nawaz is here to stay. She can’t be brushed aside, jostled around, dictated to, cowered into submission, yelled into servitude or silenced. If there is one thing that is really commendable in her it is her steadfastness bordering on stubbornness. MNS still has 20 years of good fight left in her. And by the way it looks she is determined to go the whole hog.

Months back, I reimagined Asif Ali Zardari as Notorious Richard III as portrayed by Shakrspeare. The same, with minor alterations, can be said about Maryam Nawaz of today. The soliloquy of our Lady of Maryam Nawaz is as follows.

To be, or not to be, that was never the question. It was foreordained that I’ll make it grand, eventually. I’ve donned many garbs in my life, tasted water from many streams in my two score and few years. I’ve been through the thin and I’ve been through the thick. I’ve braved the unspeakable mental torture for almost a decade. And I, dear reader, am the most beloved, most mocked, most hated lady of this republic at present.

I am MNS. A Princess. A former first daughter. At present damsel in distress. And Future Queen of this land.

It is said that our best-laid plans are written way before our time. The great Bard wrote mine and attributed my scheme to power to one of the most vilified, most cunning king of a land far, far away.

The plan goes thus: Since I cannot prove my worth in the shadows, To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to stick to my guns, And hate the idle pleasures of these days. Plots have I laid, inductions dangerous, By drunken prophecies, libels and dreams, To set my enemies one against the other.

And that I will most certainly do as remember and never dare forget that the lion is down but not out.

We may be cornered, bruised and battered but still we stand in the arena. The shadowy powers are hell-bent to condemn, ridicule, and abstain us from reaching out to the masses. They, mark my words, are condemned to fail.