KARACHI, July 9: Differences among different groups of Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Sindh chapter, have surfaced again with influential leaders maneuvering to grab top party slots.
Heads of three main groups have been canvassing party colleagues for the post provincial president.
While the most powerful of them continues to be the Arbab group, led by the incumbent provincial president Dr Arbab Rahim, the other two are Sheikh and Maher groups, headed respectively by Imtiaz Ahmad Sheikh and Ali Gohar Maher.
Imtiaz Sheikh had been holding the post of general secretary in the party and the portfolio of revenue in Dr Arbab’s cabinet until he developed differences with the chief minister and was eventually sacked as minister on corruption charges. Ali Gohar Maher is brother of the former chief minister Sardar Ali Mohammad Maher and has been leading the ‘water vision group’ in the party.
Besides making hectic efforts to get the top slot, these groups are also seeking election of their nominees for the office of the provincial general secretary. The nominees are Senator Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, at present the chief minister’s political secretary; MPA Sadaquat Ali Jatoi, a brother of Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi; and Alim Adil Sheikh, chief of the PML-Q’s Youth Wing.
Fearing that the trend might take the shape of a tussle, the party’s Secretary General, Mushahid Hussain, is rushing here next week on the directive of the party’s high command to narrow down the differences among the groups, it is learnt.
Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari, currently acting as general secretary of PML-Q Sindh, has been accused of not sparing time for party affairs and doing nothing to make the party stronger enough to face the challenges from rivals. He has been holding the portfolio of revenue minister and is also chairman of the provincial anti-corruption committee.
It is also learnt that Dr Arbab Rahim had himself believes so as he had taken up the matter with the party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to discuss Mr Leghari’s failure in activating the party in Sindh after being elevated to the post after Imtiaz Sheikh’s removal.
Mr Leghari’s alleged shortcomings came to limelight when his party colleagues highlighted the results of the election in his home town’s union council in Ghotki where his favourite was defeated by Maher group’s nominee.
In view of the general elections next year, the provincial chapter has been stressing on a full time general secretary having capacity to produce results. Dr Arbab Rahim, who is seeking his reelection as president in the party polls to be held next month, has
forwarded the name of Senator Qureshi for general secretary for the same reason.
As his proposal got leaked out, the other groups have also become active and started lobbying for their own nominees. At present, all the three groups have been seeking approval of their nominees by the central high command and subsequent endorsement by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
In a meeting of the party in Islamabad last week, it was stressed that party office-bearers be elected with consensus to avoid any split and differences but the groups in Sindh chapter did not see possibility of a consensus on such a matter because of differences among them. The rival groups particularly believe that the chief minister had failed so far to take them along.
Imtiaz Ahmad Sheikh, who is still feeling the brunt of his removal from power corridors, has formed alliance with Sadaquat Ali Jatoi by offering him support of his group for the office of the general secretary.Sardar Ali Gohar Maher, whose position has become stronger with the induction of Ghaus Bux Maher in the Council of Common Interests, has fielded Alim Adil Shaikh as a general secretary in accordance with the past practice, i.e. president from rural area and secretary general from urban area.
It is also learnt that the Maher group, which enjoys support and political influence in Jacobabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Ghotki and Naushero Feroz districts, has intensified its lobbying to grab the opportunity to get its nominees elected.
Canvassing by the aspirants groups to take over the provincial party leadership is being taken as a signal of split within the party and bad omen for the party in view of the upcoming elections, more so in a scenario where the opposition parties were closing ranks to contest the elections from one platform.
