Supporters of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) march in a rally along with a statue of a lion for the upcoming general election in Islamabad on May 4, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
As key leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) in Sindh have quit, the party is losing whatever political clout it had in the province.
The disgruntled party leaders allege that the central leadership, especially Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, have sidelined them. Earlier, the internal divergence in the party had emerged with the resignation of more than 200 office-bearers at the district and taluka levels soon after their provincial chief Ghous Ali Shah quit the party in August last year.
Mumtaz Bhutto and his comrades who had merged their party (Sindh National Front) with the PML-N also followed the trail, handing in their resignations from senior positions a few days ago.
But the party crisis deepens with each passing day, a situation which came to light on Thursday when former chief minister of Sindh and senior PML-N leader Liaquat Jatoi told The Express Tribune that the party had ‘depressed’ them.
“Not only this, but a sense prevails within the ranks and files of the party in Sindh that the PML-N leadership has betrayed us,” he said, confirming news of the party’s declining pull in the province. According to Jatoi, the PML-N’s leadership is not willing to pay attention to the mounting concerns of its Sindh comrades.
“Many leaders are facing severe threats. We have conveyed our grievances in writing to the prime minister, but in vain,” he said, adding that the Sherazi brothers of Thatta; the Soomro family of Jacobabad and Shikarpur; the Arbabs in Tharparkar and the Jatois of Naushahro Feroze are now feeling uneasy with the PML-N and federal government’s response.
Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that the resignation tendered by the Mumtaz Bhutto group has created more frustration in the party, and has given a chance to the PPP leadership to approach them individually. Sources said Khursheed Shah has been tasked to bring Liaquat Jatoi into the PPP fold.
“A serious deliberation has started. Liaquat Jatoi, a stiff rival of the PPP, has sought more time. He has indicated that he may bring more influential party leaders with him,” a senior PPP leader familiar with the development said.
Before the May election, Nawaz was active in Sindh politics and showed interest in bringing drastic changes. Due to his frequent visits, not only did Mumtaz Bhutto and the Jatoi brothers merge their parties, but the Sherazi brothers of Thatta also jumped ship. With this response, the PML-N appointed around 44 vice presidents and joint secretaries in the party to accommodate various groups. Interestingly, majority of these people have either resigned from their positions or openly started to disown the party.
After the election, Mumtaz Bhutto’s son Ameer Bux Bhutto was made adviser to the prime minister on port and shipping; Murtaza Jatoi, federal minister for industries and production; and Hakeem Baloch, state minister for railways. But with no powers, they all complain that they are working as dummy ministers.
“I had been given the status of federal minister, but without power. Till my resignation, I had no idea what my role was,” Bhutto said. He added that despite serious grievances expressed by a senior leader from Sindh, Nawaz had “no time to listen”.
For their part, some senior leaders of PML-N do not agree with Bhutto’s remarks. Shah Muhammad Shah and Saleem Zia were of the opinion that Nawaz has delivered more than expected. “Not only was Mumtaz Bhutto’s son made adviser, but Bhutto appointed his people in various government and semi-government organisations as their board of directors,” Shah said, adding that the party under the leadership of Ghous Ali and Mumtaz Bhutto failed to deliver in the May elections as not a single seat was won from rural Sindh. “The party has not yet accepted their resignations. Even Ghous Ali Shah is still our provincial chief,” he said.
Zia, general secretary of the PML-N Sindh chapter, said there was no communication gap between them and the central leadership. “The prime minister has assured us that grievances expressed by the local leadership of our party would be overcome,” he said.
However, Liaquat Jatoi while speaking to The Express Tribune confirmed his negotiation with PPP leaders and said, “My father was a PPP worker. I had contested the first-ever election in 1977 on the platform of PPP. Everything is possible in politics, but a decision is yet to be made,” he said.
Correction: A previous version of the story erroneously reported '1977' as '19777'. The error has been fixed.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2014.
COMMENTS (24)
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@Ok:
As a matter of fact I do! Its the American Football term equivalent to a home run of baseball or a sixer in cricket. You might want to ask the OP as to how he wanted others to understand that term.
@Aalu Laylo: Well your argument does not hold much ground The President of Pakistan is a Karachiite. Secondly PMLN is also strong in Hazara regions that lie in KPK and also Kohistan regions go for PML sometimes and they are not regions of Punjab. Also I dont know how you define a Punjabi. If anyone living in Punjab is considered a Punjabi then your argument as a stronghold could be valid but if Balochs will not consider themselves Punjabis then South Punjab regions have a Huge Baloch Population and PMLN actually got votes from them as well and that makes PMLN a Multi Ethnic party as well.
In PMLN all power is come to Sharif Family, there is nothing democratic about this party. People like Saad Rafique feels proud in holding mike for Hamza Shahbaz and Maryum Sharif. Family members, relatives and close friends ripping the benefits in their businesses and all as Nawaz lead the govt.
@Adnan Siddiqi: But aren't these the same opportunistic losers that were much sought after by pmln before the elections...which at the time I recall you were shouting about from the rooftops as a great sucess? Looks like pmln are as clueless as a bald man in a hair saloon! Muhahahaha!
@Aalia: PTI doesn't cling to any ethnic bias like Pml-N, PPP, ANP or Mqm. It's appeal is more Pakistan oriented.
If you do not belong to Sharif clan, you are just a puppet or stooge in PMLN.
Worst conditions in pakistan... Brink of disintegration.
PMLN is a party of oppourtunists. They will destroy pakistan ultimately by selling assets. They killed BB, it was their govt in punjab at that time, they used police and taliban for the job and wept crocodile tears at the time of BBs assasination. Worst enemies of poor pakistanis are in ruling the country. What a pity.
Pmln must not bow down to these opportunists demands as pmln couldn't win a seat with their support in rural sindh.
PML(N), PPP and MQM aren't interested to reach out to people across the country. They are more focused on strengthening their respective fortes, i.e. Punjab, Rural & Urban Sindh. It's like they are waiting for the division of Pakistan into five pieces to grab their share. The only party doing politics on national level seems to be PTI.
@waqas: So what you say? Is PPP national party or PTI?
The electoral makeup of Pakistan is such that a political party that can win Punjab can form both central government and the provincial government and thus effectively control the whole country. Therefore there is no incentive for a major party of Punjab to woo or deal with parties in other provinces. This diminishes the federal character of Pakistan's governmental structure and will prove to be damaging to the unity of the country in the long run.
Nevertheless, one cannot sympathize with the disenchanted Sindhi politicians who chose to align with the PMLN. Their decision does not seem to have been based on an ideological motive to improve the lot of the people. Rather it was to see what they can get out of the winning majority party. Not having the control over the provincial government, and having a long line of expectant beneficiaries for the handouts, PMLN does not have much to dole out to the Sindhi politicians.
When did this year 19777 ? occurred? Epic mistake by ET.
Kindly rectify.
who told them pml n was ever a national party
PMLN is actually isolating everyone except Lahoris and Kashmiri Origin Punjabis. A small background check on all the ministers will reveal that what their origins are and. also Most of the Reserved seats of Women are being distributed among Businessmen of Lahore and Gujranwala rather than in the deserving women. Also Hamza Shahbaz, Mariyam Nawaz, their relative Abid Sher Ali, Captain Safdar and many others are taking the reigns of the whole Pakistan while others are being neglected. The most recent Appointee is the close Family member of Nawaz Sharif is the Advocate General of Pakistan and his name is Salman Aslam Butt and i dont need to explain what it actually means.
Sindh is the second largest province and a high revenue generating province. Can anybody name a few cabinet members from Sindh with meaningful portfolio? PML-N has chosen a few losers with no representation in their own constituencies as ministers. How could these losers represent Sindh?
The leaders of PLM (N) Saleem Zia and Shah Muhammad Shah openly admitted accommodating Mumtaz Bhutto on political as well as Government positions. NAB should take notice and bring the cases against them as being done in the case of ex-prime ministers of PPP.
Supreme court is pro-active against PPP leadership on the same count while in case of PLM(N) their is absolute silence. Media should also take it seriously and their investigative journalist should come up with inner stories about the worst kind political bribe and nepotism in the same spirit and vigor they show for PPP.
A Peshawary
@Owais:
I don't think so home boy. With such carpetbagging and gold digging opportunistic losers being shown the door early, PML Nooon is on the way up.
Sherief brothers do not share power with others a hard fact known to every body. Why did you get in trap. Keep on crying nothing will happen better to get aside of PML (N).
The ministers who are asking for power should actually asking for the responsibilities they are expected to assume. They actually want power to appoint people (selling jobs), awarding contracts ( taking a cut) and making foreign trips ( for making investment of ill-gotten money). They want power compete in corruption with their counterparts in PPP who are making hay while the sun is shining. PML(N) should not accede to any unreasonable pressure of these people.