Fissures expected as PPP dissolves Karachi chapter

With Shah Mehmood Qureshi recently leaving the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), some more fissures are expected in the coming days, as the party has decided to dissolve the PPP Karachi Division, thereby, removing old stalwarts, Najmi Alam and Saeed Ghani, from their posts.
Talking with Pakistan Today on Thursday, PPP Sindh Secretary General Taj Haider said that on the orders of central command of PPP, the party’s Karachi chapter has been dissolved and its president Najmi Alam, secretary general Saeed Ghani and information secretary Latif Mughal removed. “The decision has been conveyed to us from the party co-chairman to restructure the body of Karachi division,” he said.
When contacted by Pakistan Today, Alam and Ghani said that they were in Islamabad and accept the decision made by the party leadership. “We will follow the decisions and continue to work as party workers.”
During a recent trip to Karachi, President and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had decided to make changes in the party’s set up. It was decided that Senator Faisal Raza Abdi was to be made the new Karachi division president and Mir Ismail Berohi, a former union council nazim, as the general secretary. Abidi has held the same position in the past also but was removed after complaints of party workers about his behaviour. Alam’s brother Naneeb and three close relatives of Ghani were killed in Karachi recently and they were all very close to PPP workers on grassroots level
Insiders in the PPP told Pakistan Today that such change will upset the workers and may not favour the party especially at this juncture when Qureshi has recently left the party; the issue of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza is still unresolved; and Sharjeel Memon among other MPAs supporting Mirza. The sources said that Senator Abidi was trying to regain the presidency of PPP Karachi division but most PPP activists did not feel easy working with the leader.
“The rally in favour of President Zardari announced by the PPP Karachi Division was also postponed because of Abidi’s insistence,” they said.
The sources said that the president has called Alam and Ghani to Islamabad and told them that they were not being removed on any complaints or that the party was not satisfies with their work. The PPP co-chairman also appreciated the work done by the two party stalwarts and their team.