Joining hands: Spiritual ties trump politics as Pir Pagara allies with Qureshi
Pir Pagara warns of a new war within the country if elections delayed.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Pagara and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced the decision during a press conference. PHOTO: APP
KARACHI:
The spiritual leaders of the Hur Jamaat and the Ghausia order have decided to join hands to win the upcoming elections in Sindh.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Pagara and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced the decision during a press conference at Functional House on Saturday. Pir Pagara said that they will support Qureshi in Tharparkar as they shared a long history. He said that it was his father’s wish that the Ghausia order and Hurs tread the same path. “I have fulfilled my late father’s wish”
Interestingly, this implies that the alliance is rather based on factors other than political. This is not an alliance between the PML-F and the PTI given that the former is an ally of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, which does not get along with the PTI.
Pir Pagara was of the opinion that only God can save this country if the caretaker government’s term is extended as delaying the election at this juncture would only incite a new war inside the country.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also drew flake from him when he said that the real leaders of the PPP are resting in Garhi Khuda Bux and the current party is Zardari party. “This has forced the ideological workers to rethink their affiliation with the PPP.”
He also said that the PPP will employ both ‘danda’ and money in the upcoming elections as they have a lot of money and the caretaker set-up is their supporter. No PPP minister can go to his constituency due to their bad governance, he added.
The Hurs leader further said that there are not many parties who are thinking about the federation as most of them are concerned with politics of a certain province or district. But PML-F, he said, believes in the federation. He also announced that former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim would be a coalition partner of the PML-F for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, Qureshi stressed that it was high time that elections are organised on time.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2013.
The spiritual leaders of the Hur Jamaat and the Ghausia order have decided to join hands to win the upcoming elections in Sindh.
Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Pagara and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced the decision during a press conference at Functional House on Saturday. Pir Pagara said that they will support Qureshi in Tharparkar as they shared a long history. He said that it was his father’s wish that the Ghausia order and Hurs tread the same path. “I have fulfilled my late father’s wish”
Interestingly, this implies that the alliance is rather based on factors other than political. This is not an alliance between the PML-F and the PTI given that the former is an ally of the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, which does not get along with the PTI.
Pir Pagara was of the opinion that only God can save this country if the caretaker government’s term is extended as delaying the election at this juncture would only incite a new war inside the country.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also drew flake from him when he said that the real leaders of the PPP are resting in Garhi Khuda Bux and the current party is Zardari party. “This has forced the ideological workers to rethink their affiliation with the PPP.”
He also said that the PPP will employ both ‘danda’ and money in the upcoming elections as they have a lot of money and the caretaker set-up is their supporter. No PPP minister can go to his constituency due to their bad governance, he added.
The Hurs leader further said that there are not many parties who are thinking about the federation as most of them are concerned with politics of a certain province or district. But PML-F, he said, believes in the federation. He also announced that former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim would be a coalition partner of the PML-F for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, Qureshi stressed that it was high time that elections are organised on time.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2013.