BADIN: Mohammed Ismail Rahu, Bibi Yasmin Shah, Haji Ramzan Chandio, Taj Mohammad Mallah and several other district leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday left for Karachi

amid unrest prevailing among workers over Gul Mohammed Jakhrani’s appointment as coordinator a few days back. The senior district leaders would meet MNA Faryal Talpur, who looks after the party’s affairs, to discuss the matter with her, party sources said.

PPP Badin district general secretary Haji Saen Bukhsh Jamali while speaking to this reporter on Monday confirmed that all main district leaders had left for Karachi and were likely meet the top leadership.

He, however, stopped short of verifying the report that the issue of Jakhrani’s appointment would figure in the meetings.

“After their scheduled meetings, I will be in a better position to share the top leadership’s decisions with the media,” he said.

Jakhrani’s appointment as coordinator only a few days ago triggered a controversy as some of the senior district-level leaders were found criticising the top leadership’s decision and some others even expressed their anger over it. They decided to take up the issue with MNA Faryal Talpur and present their point of view, according to party sources.

The reported disapproval of the decision appeared to be based on Jakhrani’s harsh remarks against the district leadership though he tried to clarify his statements during an interview with a local news agency. The offending remarks attributed to him were that the Badin district leadership was “inefficient” and “indifferent towards resolving the issues facing the common people”.

When his comment was sought by this reporter, Jakhrani said his statements were exaggerated by the interviewer. However, he admitted that he in the interview had expressed his displeasure [over the district leadership’s handling of affairs] in the light of the complaints made to him by certain PPP stalwarts and committed workers.

He asserted that the stalwarts and committed workers were totally disappointed with the performance of the local leaders.

He vowed to accomplish the given task of coordinating between the [top] party leadership and common people.

The top leadership, he said, was quite concerned over the dismal performance of local leaders despite the fact that the PPP had been ruling over the province for 10 years.

He said the district leaders should sit with him in order to jointly evolve a strategy in this regard and further strengthen the party. He said he would work to unite the party’s district leadership so that no other force could benefit from the minor differences among them.

Jakhrani said that no party leader or activist was afraid of [estranged PPP leader and former home minister] Dr Zulfikar Mirza. “We will together kick him out of the district,” he remarked.

He said PPP leaders had repeatedly warned Dr Mirza to mend his ways and stop using foul and filthy language against the top party leaders.

He said there was no potential threat to the PPP from him or any other person.

Jakhrani, who hails from Kashmore and was elected as an MNA from Jacobabad-III constituency, said he was not new to the people of Badin, adding that he had been well-versed with the political dynamics of this district since his student life.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2018