Bloomberg News is reporting that Nawaz Sharif has decided not to contest by-elections for the National Assembly. According to the report, Nawaz feels Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali was doing a good job and he didn’t want to come in the way.

This is a ridiculous explanation. If Nawaz doesn’t want to take Chaudhry Nisar’s place, he can simply become a member of the assembly without appointing himself leader of the opposition. So, the question must be asked: what’s Nawaz’s game?

First, it must be remembered that Nawaz never wanted the March 10 by-election to take place and had challenged the date in the Lahore High Court. There were rumours that Sharif’s reluctance to hold the elections stemmed from a deal with the Saudis and Pervez Musharraf that he would abstain from holding office for a period of 10 years in return for his release from jail.

But let’s consider another option. While Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly said he doesn’t want to bring down the government, Chaudhry Nisar has been his attack dog — repeatedly slamming the president over any number of issues. Could it be that Nawaz Sharif is hoping for mid-term elections while staying above the fray and deflecting any criticism for the removal of the government away from himself?