Founder Rasool Bux blames son for failing to conform to guiding principles of nationalist party. PHOTO: PPI
After showing signs during recent months of internecine quarrel between two camps - one led by its founding leader, Rasool Bux Palijo, and another by his son, Ayaz Latif Palijo, who now heads the party as its elected president - an announcement is expected to proclaim the split. After writing a denouncing letter, published in a 65-page booklet last month against his son, Rasool Bux has called a press conference today (Sunday). According to party insiders, he is likely to disclose the parting of political ways with his son. "It will either be an outright ouster of Ayaz, a constitutionally elected president, and his associates or revival of the Awami Tehreek, which was renamed as QAT in 2013," a party leader, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune.
Rasool Bux blames his son for failing to conform to the guiding principles of the party. Meanwhile, Ayaz avoids replying to any allegation coming from his father. However, people close to Ayaz contended that the Pakistan Peoples Party's influence is at play because of the involvement of Rasool Bux's brother, Ghulam Qadir Palijo, who is the chairman of district council, Thatta, and father of Senator Sassui Palijo.
"Interestingly, the press conference has been called on the same day on which Ayaz is going to launch a protest movement against the alleged corruption of the PPP government and the Zulfikarabad project," a QAT leader from Ayaz's camp pointed out. Ayaz, who unequivocally supports the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, views corruption as a menacing threat to CPEC's success. "It's as serious [a threat] as militancy," he summarised. "One [militancy] is overtly trying to fail the project and [the] other [corruption] covertly."
The letter
Charge-sheeting Ayaz in a 65-page booklet, Rasool Bux accused his son of deviating from his ideological ways of leading the party. "You changed the party's name [to QAT], you made it a national party, which was earlier limited to Sindh, you changed the party slogan and you changed the party's soul, which was its constitution," he wrote. "You have held only six meetings of [the] central committee since becoming the party's president in 2009."
The other allegations include lack of regular interaction with the party's workers, stopping sessions of ideological training for workers, lack of consultation and denouncing his critics within the party through social media campaigns. "You always try to create a perception that the era of my [Rasool Bux's] leadership, thought and oversight on the party is over."
He is also critical of Ayaz for joining the Pakistan Muslim League - Functional-led grand democratic alliance (GDA) in Sindh. "Against the party's philosophy of always struggling for [the] rights of the poor and suppressed people, he is interested in getting political positions," said Rasool Bux. "By joining them [GDA], he hopes to become [the] governor of Sindh."
However, Rasool Bux had earlier supported Ayaz's decision of joining the GDA, regarding which he remarked, "For the sake of a national cause, communist leader Mao Tse Dong had also entered into a deal with Chiang Kai Shek, a feudal Komintang party chief."
Failed mediation?
Efforts by some senior leaders, family members and friends to intercede between the father and son have so far come to a naught. "Rasool Bux sahib asks for a guarantee [from mediators] that they will ensure that Ayaz will strictly abide by his guidelines," said a mediator, who requested not to be identified. "On his part, Ayaz is ready for complete compliance but he just wants his father to announce a protest movement against PPP's corruption and Zulfikarabad project and that he will lead it as well."
Ayaz's reaction
Despite the apprehension of some dramatic announcement from his father, Ayaz hopes to hear that Rasool Bux supports his protest movement against the PPP in the press conference.
"I don't think wisdom will allow anyone to demolish this wall [QAT] against PPP's corruption," he accentuated.
The QAT's general-secretary, Anwar Soomro, said that as per the party's constitution, Ayaz or any other elected leader, including himself, cannot be removed through an announcement by Rasool Bux.
"At this stage of life, if Rasool Bux opts to oust Ayaz, he will be burying Awami Tehreek in Makli's graveyard," remarked Dastgir Bhatti, a senior journalist for whom Rasool Bux volunteered to become a counsel when he was arrested during former military dictator Yahya Khan's martial law. "But, it will give a rebirth to Ayaz by catapulting him as a new leader."
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2016.
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