KARACHI, Dec 20: While deploring the regime’s brazen horse-trading, the People’s Party’s hardcore activists have launched a campaign within the party to demand explanation from the leadership about the desertions, especially in northern Sindh.

They want that similar mistakes should not be committed in awarding the Senate tickets, sources said.

According to the sources, the hardcore has not yet reconciled with the party’s inability to form governments at the Centre and in Sindh, owing to alleged shifting stance, which was not in tune with the ground realities.

A sizable element of the party is questioning the modalities and yardstick for awarding of party tickets, by ignoring the diehards, amid allegations of sale of tickets to those who were not loyal to the PPP.

In this context some of them seem to agree with the contentions of Faisal Saleh Hayat and his colleagues, who staged a rebellion against the party leadership and supported the king’s party, while criticizing the attitude of some of those who were instrumental in deciding about the tickets.

But at the same time they are highly critical of him and others, especially Rao Sikandar and Norez Shakoor, who, being senior central executive committee members, had the chance to stand up against the irregularities in awarding of party tickets and other decisions. “If they thought that they could not change the situation, they should have had the moral courage to speak out their mind before elections and should have contested as independents and not used the PPP platform to serve their and the regime’s vested interests,” said a party diehard from Hyderabad.

In Sindh, the party diehards are demanding action against those who were instrumental in awarding party tickets to those who have defected, owing to which almost the entire northern Sindh is out of the PPP’s control. Five PPP provincial assembly members defected to the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) in what was termed “brazen horse-trading.”

“This is the result when you treat the political party as your fiefdom or a limited company where a few of those who become strong with the support of the common stake holders bypass them and compromise on their interests,” said a PPP insider.

The diehard PPP activists say the leadership was aware of the past of those who had betrayed the party, yet they were awarded tickets.

They demand that those responsible for the situation should follow the example of Yousuf Raza Gailani, who resigned after his nephew, for whom he had got the PPP ticket, deserted the party.

They are also critical of the Nazim of Sukkur, who was elected with the PPP’s backing, for being instrumental in the horse-trading. After twice losing to the PPP candidates, he was awarded the party’s ticket in 1997 and was elected MPA.

They maintain that Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar has “cheated” them because he obtained the PPP ticket but on the last day did not file it. Instead he addressed a news conference and criticized the PPP.

They also question the wisdom behind not keeping a cover candidate in the field and backing the “Munshi” of Mr Mahar in another constituency.

As a result of the defections, the PPP has almost been wiped out from northern Sindh, despite massive following.

Meanwhile, the ruling party is trying to exploit the restiveness within the PPP because despite being the maximum vote getter it could not form the government.

The government first tried to create dissension in the PPP by telling it to change the candidate for the top slot in Sindh and floating the names of Makhdoom Jameeluzzaman and Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

The regime’s efforts got assistance from the vested groups in the PPP, that traditionally operate on the Baradri system, though covertly. All strings were pulled by the regime to keep the PPP out of power.

According to sources, Jam Saifullah Dharejo was offered the top slot if he agreed to create a forward bloc in Sindh. But he refused to do so, despite his friendships and leverage used by the establishment. Had he agreed, many more would have defected.

The PPP was told to change its candidate for the top slot in the province if it wanted to form the government. A campaign was launched to give the impression of rising differences within the party, particularly between Makhdoom Amin Fahim and rest of the office-bearers.

The PPP cadre wants a detailed debate on all these issues and is increasing pressure on the leaders to explain their position as well as for stern action against the turncoats.

It believes that the present system is fragile because it is based on horse-trading and interference from the Centre to deny the largest party the chance to form the provincial government.

Even the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the second largest party, was not given the top slot; despite the fact it had supported Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali at the Centre on the premise that its nominee would be given the top slot in Sindh.

The PPP cadre wants the leadership to put its house in order if it is serious for a struggle to free the politics from turncoats and Trojan horses of the establishment.