Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif is laying to rest all democratic norms, even basic rules and regulations laid down in the party’s own constitution, for the reorganisation of the party and intra-party elections, the final round of which is to be held on July 27 in Islamabad, causing unrest amongst all tiers of leaders and workers.
The first round of elections was held when the party announced district presidents and general secretaries in first week of July. Nawaz, known to be hell-bent on upholding his authoritarian one-man show, has also binned overtures by senior party leaders who believe that his extreme obstinacy is breeding mass defection and grouping that will lead to the political death of the party.
Meanwhile, central elections are around the corner but the party has yet to constitute an election commission and the nomination process has not begun either. No procedure has been laid down for candidates to file their nomination papers to contest elections.
A former senior office-bearer of the party said PML-N leaders were being invited to just participate in the July 27 convention instead of offering them to join the election race. “Everyone, especially Nawaz Sharif and Sartaj Aziz, will be elected unopposed as not a single nomination has been field,” he added.
However, PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid said the reports were baseless and fabricated. He said the party had completed its reorganisation
from the primary to district level according to the rules laid down in its constitution. All processes were done via elections in the light of democratic norms, he added.
Rahsid clarified that district elections pending in Lahore and Multan because of unavoidable reasons would be completed before July 27. He said the two-year delay had been because of the party’s reorganisation from top to bottom. “We have also introduced a new culture of holding elections instead of [direct] nominations this time,” he added.
When asked who was contesting the elections for central seats, he said the party had not yet received any applications or nominations for the intra-party elections on July 27.
According to the PML-N constitution, the party is based on local organisations and provincial organisations and their general councils make up the central general council that elects the party president, secretaries general and various other top office-bearers
A senior PML-N leader seeking anonymity told Pakistan Today that Nawaz had totally bypassed all the aforementioned steps and procedures to reorganise the party and hold party elections. “None of the elections have been held at any tiers of party organisation, so much so that the party has not even held elections at the divisional and provincial levels. It is ridiculous that without reorganising the party and without intra-party elections at primary, union council, city, district, divisional and provincial levels, Nawaz Sharif announced that central elections will be held,” he added. Even at the top tier, office-bearers became district presidents and secretaries general through nomination lists prepared by Senator Ishaq Dar and Anusha Rehman instead of elections.
Various PML-N leaders, including senior ones, came down hard on Nawaz and called the entire election processes at the district level “fake”. Senior PML-N leader Saranjam Khan accused Nawaz of awarding organisational positions to people involved in extremist activities. Khan, who has been associated with the Muslim League for almost half a century and has served as its central secretary general and provincial chief, also gave up his party membership in protest. A dissident group of the PML-N also rejected the party’s district organising committee announced by Nawaz Sharif and demanded a reorganisation according to the “wishes” of the party workers and the constitution. Former district president of the PML-N Malik Mohammad Rasheed, former general secretary Asmatullah and others claimed that members of the organising committee were either dissidents from Jamaat-e-Islami or the PML-Quaid.
Present scenario is no surprise. PML-N is one-man show. Nawaz Sharif has been arrogant and autocratic throughout; so he should be in view of our political culture.
Prevaiz Rasheed is just his-mater’s-voice. His statements cannot be trusted.
This is the reason that now people in our country call them "Double Shah" not only of Punjab but are now looking towards other provinces. Majority of ministries are now under the belt of CM Punjab. He is not willing even to trust his close elites. Their leanings towards right is not a rocket science for ordinary citizen to know. Both these brothers will only do which is best in their own interest and not for the party or the country as a whole. This is the main "Cancer" which our country is suffering due to the family rule. We need to come out of this spell.
Comments are closed.