Intra-party rift: Ghous Ali Shah lashes out at own party leaders
Former Sindh chief minister Ghous Ali Shah, a key leader of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz in the province, has lashed out at the PML-N leadership for what he characterises as an attempt to sideline him from the party’s politics.
At a press conference held in Karachi on Saturday, Shah spoke angrily against what he called “an attempt to knock me out of Sindh politics”. The former chief minister was recently made a senior vice president at the national level of the PML-N but views that position as ceremonial.
When asked how his remarks might be received by his party’s leadership, Shah said: “If they [PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif] attempt to sideline me, I have different options available to me. But removing me [from PML-N Sindh] would not be easy for them.”
He also said, however that “Nawaz Sharif is also a human. To err is human, to forgive is divine. Being a human, he can also make wrong decisions against which workers protest is legitimate.”
Shah reportedly wants to be made the provincial president of the PML-N. There are two other contenders for the PML-N Sindh’s leadership: Syed Hafeezuddin and Salim Zia. The PML-N’s support in Sindh seems to be divided along ethnic lines and Shah made allusions in this regard, too.
“The real source of the problem [in the party] are people from outside Sindh,” he said in a veiled reference to his two other opponents.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2011.
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@Anwar Ali Shah: Oh Brother of mine, When Nawaz Sharif himself is undermining Shah Sahib in Sindh, since 2009, and he only returned in 2008, then how do you think things will improve. That's the reason Shah sahib has been lashing out at him because whereeer he goes he hears this " The Punjabi had always betrayed you and is still doing so today; why are you with him? If he cannot keep even you happy, the man who's supported him through everything, where will be our place. Until and unless we see that Mian Sahib genuinely is trying, by installing you as unopposed leader, as you can mediate between parties and command genuine respect from the poor and the Wadera's of Sindh alike, only then will we seriously reconsider working with Mian Sahib. Until now, he is BEWAFAA. Shah sahib is very good, the team he is working with takes him for granted.
@Kamran - I am not apposing Shah Sahib but reality is reality. On ground situation is going against Shah Sahib, unfortunately Shah Sahib did not support and protect the faithful workers of PMLN and could not place/handle them according to their status. He was and is failure to convince the real high profile politicians/social groups to join or support PMLN in Sindh and he could not make grounds in any constituency of Sindh where any one can win election on the Ticket of PMLN without any other support. I think you know very well if you belong to Sindh that the PMLN have no any seat from where any ticket holder can win without any other support like PPP win the seats.
@Anwar Ali Shah: Shah was the person who succeeded in working as PMLN Sindh President in 1993-1996 period and making the party so strong that his party made government in Sindh in 1997 elections. Liaquat Jatoi was Shah's General Secretary Sindh. Shah is also the only person in Sindh to win two seats, MPA & MNA, on a Muslim League ticket from 1947-1997. After all his efforts he was bumped out of being made CM, and taken to Federal Education Ministry, though he had said you cannot control Sindh with a CM like Liaquat. And eventually, he was made to come back, with Liaquat being removed because of his incompetence and Shah was again made the de facto Chief Minister in Sindh. If Musharraf hadnt taken over and the PMLN had been allowed to function properly in Sindh, and Shah hadnt been exiled, things would have been different. Parties collapse due to lack of leadership, and that's exactly what happened to PMLN in Sindh and Pakistan when the leadership went into exile.
No doubt Shah Sahib is a noble person and is a known figure of PML-N, unfortunately he could not make PMLN as known party in Sindh, after the death of Zia, Shah Sahib shake hand with Mr. Nawaz Sharif with the goal that he will struggle for party and make it strongest in Sindh specially Rural Areas but he could not obtain the GOAL. So his lashing is unnecessary. He will get losses in his political life If he left the party at this stage.
Shah Sahib was also left behind when Mr. Nawaz Sharif "Sneaked" out of the country along with looted booty, family members and also some servants. Shah sahib was only left to face classical music from those who took-over the country. The takeover was validated by the present Chief Justice who went further to pen down that this was a peaceful and according to Islam. There is saying somewhere that "Many first will be last and many last will become first".
The problem is no one is ready to let go. We need new dynamic faces for all our parties. The old guard can become advisors.
The man is a former defence minister of Pakistan also. He enjoys the majority of the support of the people of his province and any support the other leaders enjoy are of the turncoats that have quietly reverted back from the Q League, whereas Shah stands that he will accommodate the people who have stuck with the party. Nawaz Sharif always does this to his friends...... remember Saranjam Khan and Javed Hashmi???
Mr Shah was born on 01-01 1934 and is 74 years old .
I think he should step down and let the younger generation take over the leadership of PML-N in Sindh and energise the party.