KARACHI: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president on Sunday called for equitable distribution of resources among the provinces and stressed the need for taking all federating units along for fulfilment of the vision of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

He was speaking to reporters in Karachi after meeting Balochistan National Party-Mengal chief Akhtar Mengal at his residence, where he had gone with a PML-N delegation to offer condolences on the demise of Mr Mengal’s father and seasoned politician Sardar Ataullah Mengal.

It was Mr Sharif’s second visit to Karachi in less than a month as earlier he had come here to attend a public meeting of the Pakistan Demo­cratic Movement on Aug 29.

Besides meeting Mr Mengal, Mr Sharif met the local leadership of the PML-N and the recently elected representatives of the cantonment boards in the metropolis before leaving for Islamabad in the evening.

Forms body to settle issues in PML-N’s Sindh chapter

Talking about Balochistan at Mr Mengal’s residence, the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly emphasised the need for respecting all provinces and providing resources to the people.

Recalling the late Ataullah Mengal’s services for democracy, he said that history would always remember him for his struggle for democracy and supremacy of the Constitution.

Accompanied by senior PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Miftah Ismail, Mr Sharif told Akhtar Mengal that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Ataullah Mengal had a good working relationship.

He said that many democratic governments had been sent packing by exercising Article 58(2)(b) of the Constitution and Ataullah Mengal had struggled against the controversial clause to throw it out of the Constitution.

Akhtar Mengal expressed his gratitude to the PML-N delegation for sharing his grief.

Forms body to settle issues in Sindh

In a bid to settle an ongoing row involving the local leadership of PML-N, Mr Sharif chaired a meeting at a hotel and asked all office-bearers of the party to end their differences forthwith.

The opposition leader said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had given clear instructions about reorganising the party in Sindh and everyone should work for it. He said that the PML-N was united and there was no difference within its ranks.

He said that a committee had been formed to sort out all issues pertaining to any disagreement. He said Ahsan Iqbal would head the committee and Saad Rafiq would be its member. He promised not to spare anyone if found guilty.

Recently PML-N Sindh chapter’s secretary general Miftah Ismail had resigned from the office after a group of party workers attacked the party office in Karachi over the issue of distribution of tickets for the cantonment boards’ election.

About the success of the PML-N on three councillor seats in the cantonment boards’ election in Karachi, Mr Sharif said that the countrywide success of the PML-N was the beginning of a new day.

He said that by exercising their right of vote the people of Pakistan had rejected the government over its worst performance that had caused price hike and record inflation.

Mr Sharif congratulated the winning candidates and the PML-N’s Karachi division office-bearers.

Bilawal visits Mengal

Also on Sunday, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met Akhtar Mengal at his residence to express his condolences over his father’s demise.

Accompanied by Faryal Talpur and Munawwar Talpur, the PPP chief said that the political role the late Mengal had played would always be remembered and his struggle for democracy would remain an example for coming generations.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, federal Minister for Planning and Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar and many others separately visited the residence of Mr Mengal and offered their condolences on the death of his father.

A delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, comprising Amir Khan and Rauf Siddiqui, also met Mr Mengal and offered their condolences.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2021