PML-N nearly extinct from Sindh

Despite it having hopes of forming an independent government at the centre, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has not made any effort to attract voters in provinces other than Punjab; even when its popularity has been dented by a resurgent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

For the past decade, the PML-N’s laser focus on Punjab has resulted in it ceding valuable political space to other political parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Balochistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK). While the party may still have a political presence in the other provinces, in Sindh it has next to no political clout left - evidenced by the fact that it has no national or provincial assembly representatives from the province and only managed to bag 7 Union Council seats from Karachi in the recently held local bodies elections. However, senior journalist and political analyst, Mazhar Abbas, feels that the PML-N’s focus on Punjab at the expense of becoming irrelevant in other provinces is a carefully thought out party policy. “Punjab is mini-Pakistan, so parties like the PML-N and now the PTI know they only have to carve out big wins in the province to form a government in the centre,” he opined. “As far as the PML-N is concerned, ever since Maryam Nawaz has been appointed Chief Organiser, she has not come out of Punjab, which means that the PML-N is content with being a provincial party.”

Abbas feels that the strategy adopted by Maryam Nawaz, wherein she is fixated on one province, is against the spirit of politics. “There is a huge political vacuum in Sindh as a vast majority of the populace is not happy with the performance of the incumbent Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government. Hence, the PML-N leadership should focus on re-organising their party in Sindh, so they can pick up valuable national or provincial assembly seats,” the veteran journalist suggested.

However, the infighting in the PML-N’s Sindh chapter, which resulted in an attack by some party workers on the Muslim League House at Karsaz, makes it unlikely that the party will heed to the political analyst’s advice. “Karachi based party leaders are not happy with the appointment of Shah Mohammad Shah as the Sindh chapter’s President,” informed a senior PML-N leader, on the condition of anonymity. “Even though Shah was elected unopposed back in 2018; after his election it has been hard to convene the provincial chapter’s meetings and to evolve consensus on political activities,” the PML-N leader added.

When asked about the infighting in the party’s Sindh chapter, Sorath Thebo, Additional Joint Secretary of PML-N Sindh, did not acknowledge that there were any differences. She was of the view that the party’s suppression during the General Musharraf era was to blame for its current lack of political clout in Sindh. “Our leadership has been dealing with politically motivated cases for years now. If our entire energy is invested in defending ourselves in court, how will we spare time for political activism in the province?” retorted Thebo, while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2023.