Solitary endeavour: In LG polls, PML-N aims to keep dissent at bay

Provincial leaders claim going solo best way to tackle issues of local governance.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chapter of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) insists the decision to not forge any alliance for the local government (LG) elections is not because of lack of options.

While all major opposition parties, Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), have forged an alliance for the LG polls, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has joined hands with its coalition partners Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP). Leaders of PML-N, however, feel any such alliance would, in fact, be detrimental for the party.

When asked whether the decision to go solo was taken because all major parties had already aligned themselves, PML-N provincial secretary general Rehmat Salam Khattak told The Express Tribune, “The party did not have a good experience with alliances in the 2013 general elections as some members left feeling disgruntled with certain decisions.”

Khattak said LG elections are different in nature, with local tribes and biradhri system calling the shots, adding alliances would actually hurt a party’s standing at the grass-roots level.

He maintained it was already a cumbersome task to adjust the party’s own candidates among the LG positions in the province and making an alliance would only make the process more difficult and lead to internal rifts. Khattak termed the situation of being left out of an alliance as “advantageous”.

“Alliances will force us to relinquish some seats so it is better to fight alone,” echoed central secretary information of PML-N’s youth wing, Ali Khan Yousafzai. He claimed the move will strengthen the party at the grass-roots and bring more unity among its ranks.

However, another office bearer of the party requesting anonymity said it is critical to first overcome internal rifts and then evolve a strategy for the LG polls. He pointed out senior vice president Amir Muqam along with members of his inner circle were absent from Saturday’s meeting during which the party made the decision to contest independently.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2014.