Sanaullah Zehri. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) central leadership finds itself in a fix after its Balochistan chapter president Sardar Sanaullah Zehri lodged an FIR against Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief over the murder of his son, brother and nephew.
Following the incident, the PML-N and BNP-M have stopped their negotiations and almost refused to sit again for seat adjustment in Balochistan.
PML-N Balochistan leadership has conveyed its message to party president Nawaz Sharif to either strike a deal of seat adjustment with BNP-M or save his party in Balochistan.
Zehri, while talking with The Express Tribune, said that when he joined the PML-N, he raised the party’s flag in the troubled province where he encountered tragic incidents, including the assassination of his young son, nephew and brother.
Sanaullah Zehri said that BNP-M, which spoke against the federation, is responsible for the killing of his beloved ones. He added that he does not understand why his party (PML-N) is keen on striking a seat adjustment deal with BNP-M.
In addition, Zehri indicated that if his party (PML-N) insists on joining hands with the killers of his family, then he would quit the party. Zehri added that Nawaz Sharif has to decide either to stand by the party or with groups who are against the country.
Seat adjustment
Prior to the attack on Zehri, PML-N and BNP-M had held only two meetings. According to details, Zehri, Lashkari Raisani, Yaqoob Nasir and Abdul Qadir Baloch represented PML-N while Dr Jahenzeb Jamaldini, Nawab Amanullah and Agha Hassan Baloch represented BNP-M.
Both parties discussed seat adjustment but could not arrive at a mutually acceptable formula.
A few days before the deadly attack, Nawaz Sharif had sent two senior party leaders, Mushahidullah Khan and Ayaz Sadiq with a mandate to strike a deal with BNP-M.
The officials said that both leaders supported seat adjustment and their next meeting was to take place shortly, but due to the attack, the dialogue process did not proceed.
Dr Jamaldini of BNP-M said that PML-N Balochistan leadership is divided and there are three hopefuls for the office of chief minister – Sanaullah Zehri, Lashkari Raisani and Changez Marri.
Zehri enmity
Sanaullah Zehri is the head of his tribe. However, Mir Amanullah Zehri announced himself as the chieftain of the Zehri tribe. Amanullah is an active member of BNP-M Central Working Committee.
Amanullah’s son Riaz Zehri was killed in 2009 by unidentified miscreants in district Khuzdar. He pointed fingers at Sanaullah Zehri for the tragic incident.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 23rd, 2013.
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