Disgruntled with party: Minister appears set to jump PML-Q ship

Sheikh Waqas Akram is expected to announce his joining PPP during PM’s visit to Jhang.

ISLAMABAD:

As the elections draw nearer, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) seems to have lost one more of its leaders to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

The decision of the Minister for Technical Education and Training Sheikh Waqas Akram to jump the PML-Q ship has left the Chaudhrys of Gujraat in utter disarray.

Sources close to the minister informed The Express Investigation Cell (EIC) that Akram has withheld the information only to announce it when Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf visits his constituency—Jhang next week.

Though Akram denies abandoning the PML-Q, he in the same breath concedes that his party had denied him developmental funds for his constituency for which he as a cabinet member had later approached the premier.

“I haven’t abandoned PML-Q, however I can say that my party has been ignoring my repeated requests for the release of funds for my constituency,” Akram comments.

Despite repeated attempts the PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain was not available for party’s version of the story.

After the PML-Q paid no heed to the minister’s requests Akram had approached the prime minister for the allocation of funds. Premier Ashraf had pledged complete support from the Pakistan Peoples Party to the minister for technical education and training and allocated Rs200 million which will be formally announced during his visit to Jhang.

PPP officials in meetings with the correspondent claim that there are chances that Akram contests for the next general election from Jhang—NA 89 on a PPP ticket. His friends, however, rebuke PPP claims. They say Akram will contest the next polls from NA 89 Jhang as an independent candidate.

Sheikh Akram, a politician known for his courageous fight against banned religious outfits in his hometown Jhang, had developed differences with his party leadership over non-release of funds. Akram had won twice on PML-Q ticket from NA 89 Jhang and had stood firm with Chaudhrys of Gujrat through thick and thin.



In political circles Akram was considered the bold face of the party and he proved himself as a trusted aide to Chaudhrys of Gujrat during his association with PML-Q.  Akram was not on good terms with his party leadership for the last many months over different issues, but he remained indecisive over his political career. He, however, is said to have lost his temper in a meeting with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervez Elahi last week when he did not get a positive response from them for the availability of funds for his constituency. Sheikh Waqas Akram is said to have told Chaudhrys of Gujrat in categorical terms that their attitude of ignoring his constituency during the last five years damaged him politically and now with only two months to go before the general elections 2013, he cannot simply ignore it. With face-to-face Sheikh Waqas Akram counted his sacrifices for the party leadership. He, in particular mentioned, his unflinching support for the party when Monis Elahi, son of Deputy Prime Minister, Pervez Elahi, was in jail under the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) corruption case.

Hailing from a business family, Akram won from Jhang constituency during the 2002 and 2008 elections. His constituency is of great importance for being a stronghold of Sipah-e-Shaba, a banned religious outfit. No other party except the PML-Q could manage to field in their candidate and come out victorious against the Sipah-e-Sahaba candidate.

Keeping in mind his winning streak and a vibrant role in the parliament’s proceedings, Sheikh Akram was rewarded first with state minister portfolio by his party leadership and then elevated as full member of the federal cabinet with portfolio of the minister of technical education and training.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2013.