PML-N Sindh leaders convey grievance to Abbasi

Warn the party not likely to make inroads into Sindh due to party’s leadership apathy

ISLAMABAD: Leaders of the PML-N Sindh chapter have warned the party leadership that the PML-N will not be able to make any inroads into the province in the next general elections as it has neglected its political representatives in the province, particularly in Sindh’s rural areas.

This was the gist of the meeting that took place on Wednesday in the PM House between Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the PML-N lawmakers from Sindh.

A brief statement issued after the meeting by the PM Office said developmental projects and issues related to constituencies of the legislators were discussed in the meeting.

However, sources privy to the discussions in the meeting said the lawmakers expressed serious reservations over the apparent ‘apathy’ of the party’s top leadership in resolving the issues related to their political constituencies.

Reportedly, the PML-N legislators, who were not happy over the non-provision of developmental funds in their respective constituencies, informed Abbasi that financial packages and development funds pledged by former PM Nawaz Sharif were either released only in part, or were not issued at all.

This situation, they told Abbasi, had resulted in delay in execution of development projects. A source said the PM himself ‘encouraged’ the participants to speak their minds and share their grievances related to party policies towards Sindh.

He said the lawmakers told the premier that the elevation of PML-N’s governor in Sindh in the form of Muhammad Zubair could not bring any major change in the province.

“It looks like he is governor of the urban Sindh and his policies are centred on Karachi. This will not work since PML-N has lawmakers in the province who draw a significant support from rural areas,” a PML-N lawmaker reportedly conveyed to the PM.

The PM was also urged to visit Sindh in the coming days. However, Abbasi is said to have not made any commitment to visit the province in the near future.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, PML-N MNA Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who attended the meeting, confirmed that crucial issues were discussed during the meeting.

“There were certain issues discussed during the meeting and the situation in Sindh was brought to the notice of PM,” he said. To a related query, Vankwani said he demanded of the PM to immediately release one billion rupees for Tharparkar as promised by the former PM Sharif.

“Only half of the pledged amount, which is Rs500 million, has been received. The humanitarian issues in Tharparkar demand immediate release of the remaining funds,” he said.

Asked whether the PML-N MNAs had a plethora of complaints to share with the PM, he said every lawmaker brought to notice of the PM issues related to his constituency.

Sources in PML-N Sindh chapter said the provincial leadership has repeatedly conveyed to the party’s central command that it needs to focus on rural Sindh to make inroads in the interior belt of province.

However, the party’s leadership including Sindh governor is focused on urban areas to cash in on political landscape that emerged in August last year with the split of the MQM into London and Pakistan factions.