ISLAMABAD/KARACHI, May 23: Nadir Akmal Leghari on Monday replaced Imtiaz Sheikh as general-secretary of Pakistan Muslim League Sindh after the latter resigned from the senior post amid corruption controversy. Mr Leghari has been appointed as new general-secretary on the recommendation of the party’s provincial president and Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim. This was announced by PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at his residence here.
“In higher places, one has to show large-heartedness and grace,” Chaudhry Shujaat observed while naming the replacement. Mr Sheikh, who had been sacked as provincial revenue minister on charges of corruption, has tendered his resignation “in the larger national interest”. The party has accepted his resignation, Chaudhry Shujaat said, adding that Mr Sheikh would be made PML’s vice-president in the centre.
The development has brought the controversy to an end and disappointed elements who had wished to see cracks in the party ranks, he said. The inquiry committee formed on the directive of the prime minister has yet to find any evidence to prove the allegations of corruption levelled against Mr Sheikh, he added.
Chaudhry Shujaat expressed the hope that Mr Leghari would work to strengthen the party at the provincial level. PML secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed read out a notification in this regard.
Nadir Leghari, who was present on the occasion, assured the party chief that he would try to improve PML’s image and run its affairs and take it to the grassroots. Referring to PML-F’s application filed with the Election Commission seeking cancellation of the registration of PML components other than PML-F, Chaudhry Shujaat said its president Pir Pagara had himself accepted him (Shujaat) the PML chief during a meeting held in November 2003 at Pir Pagara’s Karachi residence.
Moreover, it was PML-F which had moved application for the merger of all Leagues to constitute a unified PML. Later, the Functional group submitted an exclusive financial statement of the party before the EC which proved that it considered itself as an independent entity, he said.
With the filing of the application, PML would now consider the Functional league as its coalition partner like others, he said. Imtiaz Sheikh has tendered resignation under a 5-point understanding, sources in the party said. He has been made one of several vice-presidents of the party apparently under an understanding endorsed by PML chief Chaudhry Shujaat, president’s principal secretary Tariq Aziz and PML secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Syed.
It was not clear whether under the arrangement Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Rahim would be asked to quit as party president in the province. The arrangement was agreed upon in a meeting in which the three underwriters had decided rules of the game for Dr Arbab Rahim and Imtiaz Shaikh. Both had attended the meeting about a week earlier, said the PML sources.
The changes were made following a meeting of PML leadership with President General Pervez Musharraf during which the latter had expressed annoyance over continuing row within the party rank and file, and directed them to put their house in order before the forthcoming local government elections.
PML sources, however, regard the change as a setback for Chaudhry Shujaat as he could not prevail upon Dr Arbab to quit his party position. Recently, Chaudhry Shujaat had held that allegations of corruption against Mr Shaikh could not be verified.
The Arbab-Shaikh row had sharply divided the party in Sindh with many old guards criticising the chief minister. Some of them even resigned. The new secretary-general of PML Sindh, Nadir Akmal Leghari, whose irrigation department was recently accused of corruption by the chief minister, told Dawn that his first priority would be to mobilize people and the party cadre, especially the youth.
Laying stress on dialogue with everyone, Mr Leghari said his prime concern would be to evolve a strategy to prepare for the forthcoming local government elections and the general elections thereafter.
