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PML-Q begins to wither in KP
July 27, 2012
Though the PML-Q was already taking her last breath due to the authoritarian role of its leadership and the desertion of its provincial chief engineer Ameer Muqam to PML-N, the appointment of Syed Qasim Shah as the new provincial chief has driven the last nail in its coffin. Interestingly, the Chaudhry brothers have totally ignored the loyal party workers who, at the cost of their loyalty to the real party leadership Mian brothers, worked with them through thick and thin and not only got Qasim Shah appointed as adviser to the PM, but also raised him to the peak party post, reportedly on the behest of Mushahid Hussain, in a province which has already badly suffered after Ameer Muqam left the party along with other key leaders and MPAs.
Differences have begun to surface in the party over Qasim Shah's appointment, as the top most provincial leadership including MPA Nighat Orakzai, Central Vice President and FATA PML-Q convener Ajmal Wazir, Sabir Saraf and a number of other veteran leaders had skipped a recent meeting in protest. Justice (retd) Azam Khan, President PML-Q Lawyers Wing, says party workers don’t accept him as their provincial chief and terms the decision of Shah’s appointment part of an open anti-Pushtun policies of Chaudhry brothers and Mushahid Hussain Syed. He even claimed that he was ready to prove that Qasim Shah had not yet joined the PML-Q.
Azam Khan expressed his strong resentment against the Chaudhry brothers and Mushahid Hussain Syed's role and vowed that if the government tried to degrade the judiciary then they will strongly resist it and fight for the present free, fair and impartial judiciary.
The remaining workers and other loyal leaders in the Pushtun belt, according to political analysts, see Qasim Shah’s appointment as the total negation of their services for the party and Chaudhry brothers who, according to them, are sitting in the lap of luxury and are slaves of Zardari clique just to save Moonis Elahi at the cost of future of party and even the country. When the PML-Q MPA Nighat Orakzai was asked by this scribe to comment on the appointment of Syed Qasim Shah, she said the PML-Q no more exists in the province.
Most of other PML-Q leaders and workers are now very disappointed and think it would have been better for them if they had left the party with Ameer Muqam. They are also considering joining some other party because, according to them, the party is only for Chaudhry brothers who don’t consult anybody and make decision as they wish. According to them, the appointment of Qasim Shah was very strange because he was the right hand of Ameer Muqam at the time when the latter was ready to switch over to PML (N). Moreover, the appointment of a party chief from Hazara was a clear betrayal with Pushtun who are in majority and played a crucial role to keep the PML-Q alive in the province where ANP and PPP-S are playing the Pushtun card.
Night told this scribe that she spoke to Qasim Shah about the appointment of general secretary and information secretary of the party but he told her that he had been told by Chadhhry brothers that there would be no more appointments in the provincial stature of the party until elections. She said the Chaudhry brothers wanted to give full powers to Qasim Shah, who is yet to get the basic membership of the party.
On the other hand, addressing a meeting of party workers and later talking to media in Peshawar, Qasim Shah expressed the hope that the process of organizing the party in the KPK will soon be completed. He dismissed those who blamed him for getting the party office for his personal gains and claimed that he considered his new responsibilities as a challenge and would try to come up to the expectations of the central leadership. Though he refuted the allegations that he will restrict the PML-Q to Hazara Division as he has remained the Tahreek-e-Hazara movement founder, almost all Pushtun party workers think so and they are right because Qasim has not only got the provincial president’s office, but also got another Hazarwal Sardar Shah Jahan Yousuf inducted as a minster of state in the central government.
Same time, according to political analysts the PML-N’s performance is very outstanding and Mian Nawaz Sharif is leading the party into the power corridors but contrary to it the KPK PML-N chapter under the present President Pir Sabir Shah has yet to show progress. According to analysts, Sabir Shah and the President of PML-N Youth Wing Captain Safdar are busy knocking down each other as the latter has removed Sabir Shah’s blue-eyed General Secretary of youth wing Abdul Bari Khattak and appointed Syed Habib Ali Shah as the new general secretary of the youth wing. It has been learnt that chairing a party meeting last week, the ex-general secretary of PML-N KPK Youth Wing claimed that he was still the GS of the wing because no circular of his dismissal had so far been issued by the central president captain Safdar.
He also warned that the opponents were jealous of their good performance in organizational activities and were intriguing against them. He urged the provincial leadership to take notice of it. He also read out a special message of Captain Safdar in which he exhorted the workers to work hard and continue door to door campaign to convey the party’s message objectives to the masses. When Sabir Shah was asked to comment, he said according to the party constitution each wing worked under the central leadership but Safdar was regularly bypassing the provincial leadership in all party matters. Shah further disclosed that he will inform Mian Nawaz Sharif accordingly because such state of affairs may prove disastrous for the party.
Meanwhile, Provincial Secretary Information and PM-N spokesman Nasir Khan Musazai has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of PML-N Youth Wing in the province. He said differences between the two stalwarts will be disastrous for party future. He further disclosed that Sabir Shah had formerly talked with Captain Safdar about the matter but the gulf widened between the two. Some circles think that the bone of contention between the two is Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi who is the right hand of Sabir Shah but Captain Safdar has profound hatred for him. Certainly, this situation is not suitable for the party and will badly affect the central organization of the party in future because Sabir Shah is very passive and has failed to prove himself a good captain.
According to analysts, Peer Sabir Shah is losing grip on the party and several of his opponents have openly come out to show him the door. They view that if the central leadership, particularly Mian Nawaz Sharif, turns a deaf ear to the matter the situation may reach the point of no return. Most of the party well wishers desire that Ameer Muqam should be given the office of provincial president. They also suggest that the party affairs should be above the personal like and dislike and kin relationship and decision should be made on merit.
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