Divided rank and file: Pakhtunkhwa elections leave PML-N in disarray

Senior provincial leader is unwilling to accept the results of the recent elections.


Qaiser Butt January 02, 2012

ISLAMABAD: A serious tug of war continues behind the scenes in Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chapter, after talks between the party’s eponymous chief Nawaz Sharif and senior leader Seranjam Khan failed earlier this week.

Seranjam Khan, who had resigned as Secretary General of the party after having developed serious differences with Nawaz’s leadership, is not willing to accept the results of the recently concluded elections in K-P.

Nawaz Sharif, on his part, tried to convince him to give up his grievances for the sake of the party in a meeting held recently but Seranjam, accompanied by the former provincial information minister Abdul Subhan, has persisted with the grievances.

Pir Sabir Shah, a former chief minister of the province and Rehmat Salam Khattak were elected as president and secretary general of the provincial chapter of the PML-N in the provincial elections held in Peshawar.

“I will never accept the results of those elections,” Seranjam said while talking to The Express Tribune adding that “fraudulent measures were adopted by Rehmat Salam Khattak to become the provincial secretary general.”

A biased list of provincial councillors for the elections was prepared by Khattak, according to Seranjam.

“I told Nawaz Sharif that the electoral list was not genuine but he did not accept my arguments,” lamented Seranjam, who had walked out as soon as Salam Khattak was elected secretary general in the polling process.

Some political circles in Peshawar suspect that Seranjam and his group leaders have decided to join Tehreek-e-Insaf. However, while talking to The Express Tribune, he categorically denied the rumours.

“I will die as a Muslim Leaguer,” he made it clear adding that there was no chance of him quitting the party.

When asked, Salam Khattak asserted that Seranjam has adopted an undemocratic attitude and during the party elections, all of his objections against Khattak’s candidature were rejected by a majority of the voters.

Pir Sabir Shah has also been highly critical of Seranjam for his bitter public pronouncements against the party leaders, advising him to act with restraint.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd,  2012.

COMMENTS (4)

Riaz Hakeem | 12 years ago | Reply

The people of Pakistan need leaders who will stand up to autocratic rulers like Nawaz. This is what the country needs. In a populace that is highly illiterate it is difficult to convince some people of their own best interest because of their illiteracy. This is why you need people like Saranjam Khan who have the integrity and guts to stand up to the likes of a Nawaz Sharif. Even from an Islamic point of view, our religion is opposed to dynasties of rulers. The founding principles of Islam are social justice, precisely because social justice is so hard to attain. I commend Saranjam Khan for doing his part in raising awareness as well as taking a risk in standing up to people with dictatorial tendencies acting in the guise of democracy. These people have had their turn in destroying the country, now lets give someone else a go at it.

Abid Akram | 12 years ago | Reply

Shariffs are running the party like a fiefdom. It is Raiwand rule and selection of people is prevalent.

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