Ismail Rahu. PHOTO COURTESY: facebook.com/Muhammad-Ismail-Rahoo
Rahu’s resignation was accepted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is the party’s president. The story regarding differences cropping up between top PML-N leaders and Rahu was published in The Express Tribune last week.
PPP poised to snatch ‘big wicket’ from PML-N
“The PPP wants to field him [Rahu] in Badin against Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and his wife Fahmida Mirza,” a senior PPP leader said.
He pointed out that Rahu, who served as the excise and taxation minister during the Musharraf regime, won the provincial assembly seat from Badin and a formal announcement in this regard would be made over the next few days.
This development overshadows the PML-N’s attempts to make inroads in Sindh, especially Premier Sharif’s recent visits to different cities of the province where he announced development schemes and packages.
Political observers termed Rahu’s departure a major loss for the PML-N. Rahu wields considerable political clout because he is the son of the peasant leader, Ismail Rahu, who was assassinated in 1987.
Sharjeel Memon refutes 'rumours of deal between PPP, PML-N'
“He had won the election from PS-59 because of his personal influence. The PML-N has no significant vote bank over there,” Suleman Mandhro, a local journalist said.
The differences between Rahu and the prime minister emerged nearly a year ago over ignoring Sindh and its local leaders, which compelled many to quit the party.
During Sharif’s visit to Thatta on March 9, an hour-long meeting was arranged between the prime minister and Rahu.
“During this meeting, Rahu communicated [to the prime minister] that he was going to join the PPP,” a PML-N leader said, adding that when Sharif visited Hyderabad a few days ago, Rahu remained absent.
Rahu told The Express Tribune that he had quit his PML-N post because of “pressing personal engagements”.
“I have not yet decided to join any party,” he said, responding to reports about his joining PPP.
Meanwhile, the PML-N appointed Shah Mohammad Shah, another veteran politician from among its rank in Sindh, as the party’s central vice-president.
The newly-appointed PML-N Sindh chief, Babu Sarfarz Khan Jatoi, is a lawyer by profession and has served as the party’s president for district Larkana. He was the main figure who used to organise PML-N gatherings in Larkana division during the previous general elections.
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