Communal Dissent: PML-N workers go the dharna way

National leaders threatened for ignoring members in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seems to have forgotten its party workers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. As a result, party workers and provincial leadership has planned to hold sit-in across the province if the central leadership does not mend its ways.

“Some of the parliamentarians have restricted themselves to the parliamentarian lodges, others simply enjoy perks and privileges. The gates of the K-P Governor House are always closed for party workers,” says K-P Vice President Waqif Khan. He added low morale amongst the workers will result in serious problems for the party.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Friday, Waqif said the party was on the verge of collapse. “The central leadership has completely ignored party workers in K-P, which has led to uncertainty among workers across the province,” he said.

According to Waqif, “Senator Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, adviser to Prime Minister Amir Muqam, Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yaqoob are responsible for the current chaos within the party.”

Islamabad meeting

He stated party workers have planned sit-ins in every district of the province if current issues in K-P were not addressed. The VP added a meeting will be held with the central leadership on October 28 at the federal capital.

“This is how all relationships work; you address workers’ problems, workers will payback with votes. If the leadership forgets workers, party workers will forget them in upcoming general elections.” Waqif added, “Our leaders will have to address workers’ issues otherwise, we will bring new leadership.”

Peshawar district president Sattar Khalil accused Muqam of silently shaping a separate PML-N group under his personal mentoring in Shangla. “The leadership ought to remember these workers have tolerated dictators’ for many years and have even faced imprisonments,” Khalil stated.

He added the leadership needs to acknowledge sacrifices paid by genuine workers, not by “parashooters”, referring to those who recently joined PML-N.

Domino effect

“The federal government is not paying attention to us in K-P and we are left at the mercy of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

I can foretell PML-N will not find candidates if the party leadership does not address the issues at hand,” added Khalil.

K-P Vice President Rashid Mehmood said, “15% to 20% workers abandoned the party even though all members were assured of a resolution to the current issues.”

Mehmood, “However, it does not seem to be the case since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is always short of time for them.”

He also complained of ambiguous responses from each leader. Mehmood added, “Jhagra says the PM did not meet him, while the governor claims the PM did not have time to discuss these issues.”

Senator Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and the PM’s adviser Amir Muqam could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2015.