A senior lawyer has filed a writ petition before the Lahore High Court challenging the use of the name of “Pakistan Muslim League” by a number of political parties. The petitioner had submitted that originally there was only one Muslim League, which was considered representative of the Muslims of India, but presently different persons have created a number of Muslim Leagues to serve their interests. The political parties that the petitioner has arrayed as respondents include: Functional Muslim League (Pir Pagara), PML-Nawaz Sharif, PML-Quaid, Momin Muslim League (Ijaz Momin), Qasim Muslim League, Qayyum Muslim League, Awami Muslim League (Hamid Sarfraz) and Convention Muslim League. The petitioner alleged that these private respondents are using the name of Muslim League for their ill designs, and is contrary to the original Muslim League, its founders, Allama Iqbal, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan and Chaudhry Rehmat Ali. He contended that PML is the inheritance of Muslims of India as well as of Pakistan nation and it should not be allowed to be torn into pieces.
The case pertaining to the inheritance of Muslim League and its division into various factions is sub-judice, one would therefore refrain from discussing the merits of the case. However, this case refreshes one’s memory about an old story pertaining to the custody of a child, which was claimed by two ladies as their real son. Both the ladies had presented solid evidence in the Qazi court and none of them was prepared to withdraw from her claim. After hearing their heated and forceful arguments, the Qazi announced that since there are two claimants for one child, the child be sliced into two equal halves and one-half be given to each lady. Hearing the Qazi’s pronouncement, one of the ladies immediately declared that she foregoes her claim and beseeched the Qazi to give the custody of the child to the other woman. After hearing the plea of the woman, the Qazi ordered that the custody of the child be given to the woman who was shaken by the very thought of slicing the child into two pieces because through this act she has proved to be the real and legitimate mother of the child.
But, Pakistan Muslim League is an unlucky ‘child’, which is claimed by scores of self-seeking persons, each abetted by the establishment at some point of time during the last five decades. Since 1960s, she is victim of palace intrigues because “crown princes” have most often displayed their cravings to keep her as their mistress. Instead of subsiding, the palace intrigues have constantly increased following the assumption of political role by a wing of the establishment in the 1970s. The reigning prince of those times believed that the Muslim League could serve his needs better if she was entrusted in the care of a coterie of persons of his trust. To accomplish this objective, he maneuvered to replace Pir Pagara and got Kh. Khairuddin installed in Pagara’s place as president of the party. The new arrangement enjoyed the support of Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi, Khawaja Safdar and Zahid Sarfraz. Those in league with the prince launched the new faction under the title Muslim League Chattha Group.
In 1984, when the palace intrigues further intensified, Muslim League Chattha Group split into Kh. Khairuddin Group and Malik Mohammad Qasim Group. In a bid to strengthen his political base, the “crown prince” got Muslim League reorganized, in 1985, arranging election of Mohammad Khan Junejo as its president. A strong dose of ‘state patronage’ enabled the Muslim League to emerge, once again, as an effective party all over Pakistan. Not feeling comfortable with the new arrangement, Pir Pagara formed his own faction of the Muslim League.
Meanwhile, the prince got suspicious of some moves and advances made by Junejo, in particular the affairs written in the annals of history as “Geneva Accord” and “Ojhri Camp Probe”. At the instigation of the prince, Nawaz Sharif rebelled against Junejo, paving the way for the election of a more pliable Fida Mohammad Khan as Muslim League President. But, a faction of the Muslim League remained loyal to Junejo, resulting in the emergence of Muslim League-Junejo and further splitting the party into PML-Fida and PML-Junejo groups.
At that juncture, the prince felt uncomfortable once again because the Muslim League divisions had strengthened the other mainstream political parties, in particular the one styled as PPP. The growing popularity of PPP also upset the establishment, which succeeded, after some time, in arranging the merger of both Junejo and Fida groups. But, under the new arrangement, Junejo merely remained the party’s figure-head president while Mian Nawaz Sharif exercised effective control over the Muslim League affairs. After Junejo’s death, Nawaz Sharif was formally elected as Muslim League president.
However, Hamid Nasir Chattha parted ways, proclaiming himself as president of PML-Junejo Group. The Junejo Group also included Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo and Iqbal Ahmad Khan. In 1995, PML-Junejo split up into two groups: Muslim League-Chattha with Hamid Nasir Chatha as president and Muslim League-Jinnah with Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo as president. After the demise of Malik Qasim, Kabir Ali Wasti became president of Muslim League Qasim Group. Meanwhile, Amanullah Khan became president of Muslim League Qayyum Group. Following C-130 crash in 1988, Ijazul Haq formed his own faction of the Muslim League.
After the overthrow of Nawaz Sharif government, the authorities dispatched the political parties to hibernation. However, after some time, the authorities cobbled together a group of politicians and erected, with their help, a democratic façade once again. A little before 2002 general elections, the authorities supported and bolstered-up the group to dominate the country’s political landscape under the title Pakistan Muslim League-Q. The members of this group readily embedded with the establishment to enjoy the fruits of power.
Now, some leaders of this group lay claim to be inheritors of Quaid-i-Azam’s original and true Muslim League. But, Quaid-i-Azam was a democratic leader, who did not envisage any role for the establishment in politics or in statecraft. Lieutenants, legitimate heirs and workers of the political party that the Quaid-i-Azam once headed cannot join hands or collaborate with persons representing or associated with the rule by the establishment, the people contend. The innumerable factions of the Muslim League have confused the people who are at a loss to understand out of the eight or more factions, which is the real one?
