HARIPUR: Disgruntled PML-N leader and former governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan on Monday claimed that it wasn’t the party’s unanimous decision to file a no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in the National Assembly and instead, only a “few manipulators” were behind the move, which was meant for political bargaining.

Addressing the PML-N’s Workers Convention in a hotel here, Mr Mehtab wondered sarcastically if his party decided unanimously that one of its leaders would succeed Mr Imran as the PM with PPP leader Asif Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman being his allies and “someone else perching on his head.”

Without naming names, Mr Khan alleged that some leaders caused irreparable loss to the party.

“The PML-N has been ruined by some, who joined it as a conspiracy. They did it by ignoring and disrespecting party workers, forcing them out, and changing the party into the one of the Punjab province,” he said.

Mr Mehtab said if general elections were held or not, the PML-N was bound to suffer. He said the party’s leadership should understand the gravity of the situation and revive the party’s true identity.

The PML-N leader said he never tried to divide the party. He said unfortunately, leaders of all mainstream political parties had failed to serve the youth and were desperate to fly out of the country.

Mr Mehtab said the establishment should abandon the benefits it drew from the taxes paid by the people for the country’s welfare.

“We are responsible for the crisis prevailing in the country,” he said.

He criticised the judiciary and parliament and said both institutions had driven the country to the brink of a complete disaster.

Provincial vice-president of the PML-N and former minister Abdul Subhan Khan alleged that provincial president of the party Amir Muqam and general secretary Murtaza Javed Abbasi were using the party’s platform to serve personal ends.

“Turncoats from the Gen Musharraf Camp were brought to the party to destroy it,” he said.

Mr Khan said Muqam and Abbasi were committed to destroying the party in the province but loyalists led by Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan won’t let them do so.

Former MPA Ayub Afridi, Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan Advocate and Safeer Nawaz also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2023