Lost and confused: PML-N Sindh leadership in disarray, says Mumtaz Bhutto

Party has not organised provincial, divisional and district chapters in Sindh.

HYDERABAD: With the organisation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in disarray in Sindh, provincial leaders are feeling let down by the central leadership. 

The grievances surfaced when veteran party leader Syed Ghaus Ali Shah resigned en masse with his supporters. Now, Mumtaz Bhutto, considered to be the party’s most influential leader in Sindh, is expressing dismay. “It has been almost two years since we merged Sindh National Front with the PML-N. But, we have been sitting idle till date and practicing drawing room politics,” he bemoaned. Addressing a reception on Wednesday, Bhutto said that his political mentor, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had taught him popular politics as he disliked the politics of feudals, aristocrats and plutocrats.

“When he dragged me into politics, we went to places and met common people to win their trust and support. Sadly, this is not happening now.”

The PML-N has not organised the party’s provincial, divisional and district chapters in Sindh after Shah’s resignation. When asked, Bhutto said he does not know when the party cadres will be structured in the province. “This will be decided by the central leadership. When, I don’t know,” he replied, adding that he has not been given any responsibility in this regard as yet.

Bhutto also came down hard on what he described as a covert reconciliation between the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in matters pertaining to Sindh. “I consider Asif Ali Zardari’s brand of reconciliation a curse for Pakistan. Such an absurd trade-off of the mandate of the people should be banned constitutionally.”

The PML-N leader maintained that the PPP stole the mandate of the people in the elections through massive riggings in the province. “I had demanded that the federal government should order an inquiry into the election process in Sindh because of various evidences of fraud but my voice wasn’t heard.”

Bhutto also decried that the PML-N won the people’s mandate to deal with corruption, theft and enemies of the country but the party was not living up to its promises. He asked the party to restore peace, eradicate corruption and promote health and education policies.

Despite these grievances, Bhutto announced that he would reach out to the people to address their problems. He will also be holding meetings in Sindh. “For 28 years, the Sindh National Front has worked in every nook and corner of Sindh. We will be using this network to bolster support for the PML-N in Sindh.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2013.