The journey from Hilal Road to Raiwind

Marvi Memon’s entry into the PML-N has created ripples in the political circles of the country, with analysts and politicians wondering how the pro-Musharraf Marvi would get along with Musharraf-haters, as many N leaguers have been jailed and tortured during the nine-year reign of the former president. However, some politicians opine that Marvi would not stay in the PML-N for long, while some say the young politician’s objective would be to try and bridge differences between Pervez Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif. Prior to starting her political career from the PML-Q, Marvi had joined the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), situated on Hilal Road in Rawalpindi, as one of the directors of media monitoring and analysis wing. She served the ISPR from year 2004 to year 2007.
A PML-Q leader told Pakistan Today that Marvi and Pervez Musharraf were old friends and she had been introduced to the general by Musharraf’s cousin, Adnan Asad, when the latter was serving as corps commander Mangla. “When General Musharraf was elevated as chief of army staff (COAS), Marvi remained in touch with him and finally in year 2004, she was appointed in the ISPR,” the PML-Q leader said. The ambitious Marvi had a tendency of bypassing her bosses and reporting directly to the president due to her personal equation with the general. After a dispute with ISPR Director General Major General Shaukat Sultan in year 2007, Marvi was shipped into the PML-Q and soon got media focus due to hard work, dedication and commitment towards the projection of her party’s image. She was elected as MNA on a reserve seat for women from Punjab, despite the fact that she hailed from Sindh.
As member of the National Assembly, Marvi worked hard and produced numerous bills as a private member on different social issues, especially women’s rights. However, even after exit of General Musharraf from presidency, Marvi remained in constant touch with him and used to call him as ‘president’ like APML leaders.
Marvi was a stanch critic of the PPP-led coalition government and came up with two white papers on the government’s corrupt practices in year 2009 and 2010. She also joined various sit-ins held against the governments in across the country.
However, the tilt of PML-Q leadership towards the PPP irked Marvi Memon and finally she defied the party leadership’s decision and sought seat allocation on opposition benches when her party joined the coalition government last year.
Nausheen Saeed, Marvi’s colleague, suspects why all pro-Musharraf women of the PML-Q were joining the PML-N.
“I wonder why Musharraf loyalists like Marvi Memon and Sumaira Malik are joining the PML-N, which is being run by Musharraf-hater Nawaz Sharif. Soon Nawaz Sharif would realise his mistake,” she added.
Nausheen Saeed said according to media reports, Marvi had grabbed millions of rupees from General Musharraf and Chaudhry Shujaat for party’s campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan elections.
“But when Chaudhry Shujaat came to know that all posters of the PML were bearing photos of General Musharraf, he got annoyed and snubbed Marvi,” she claimed.
In year 2011, Marvi resigned as MNA in protest against the passage of the budget. She added that current government was working against the people and the PML-Q leaders did not live up to the expectations of their voters by leaving the opposition and joining the government.
Since then, Marvi kept silence through reports were rife that she wanted to join the PTI and sought the secretary information’s slot, but was denied by Imran Khan. Meanwhile, Khwaja Saad Rafique of the PML-N worked to convince her to join the anti-Musharraf and anti-establishment PML-N.
Per Marvi’s website, she has recently launched a movement for rights and galvanising Pakistanis to reject old politics and embrace clean politics that leads Pakistan into a developed respectable member of the comity of nations.
However, it is a question mark how Nawaz is a clean and new politician and how Marvi would cope with a party which has a close nexus with religious extremists, fanatics and has leadership with an autocratic mindset.