Whatever might be the fate of Captain (r) Safdar whose PML-N membership was suspended for negative remarks against former chief ministers Sahibzada Pir Sabir Shah and Sardar Mehtab Khan Abassi, internal rifts in the main opposition PML-N might prove costly for the party’s political future in the country.
The revolt of PML-N President Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law against the PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president could create hurdles for Nawaz, who is eyeing the prime minister’s seat for a third time. Safdar was recently served a notice to explain the reason regarding his negative remarks against PML-N KP President Sabir Shah and former KP CM Sardar Mehtab Abbassi.
Upon his failure to respond, his basic party membership was suspended on the directives of Nawaz Sharif. The matter has now triggered a heated debate within the party throughout the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The differences in the PML-N ranks are not new, however, they came to the surface a few months ago when the party’s Youth Wing stalwarts entered into verbal sparring against each other. Safdar, who is an MNA from Mansehra, is looking after the affairs of the party youth wing and Sabir Shah nominated one of his supporters as the wing’s head without taking Safdar into confidence.
The cracks in the PML-N Youth Wing appeared when former MNA from Karak Shamsur Rehman Khattak joined Imran Khan’s PTI last year. The post falling vacant was assigned to Mian Rashid from Nowshehra and was later offered to Syed Habib Ali Shah from Swat. However, Sabir Shah nominated Abdul Bari Khattak for the post and the candidate was endorsed by Safdar. But youth wing stalwarts loyal to Zafar Iqbal Jhagra refused to accept the decision and opposed it at various levels.
Beside the youth wing rift, misunderstandings developed between party’s provincial leadership and Safdar on the eve of by-elections on National Assembly seat from Mansehra.
Both Sabir Shah and Mehtab Abbassi suggested fielding a family member of the late MNA whose death vacated the seat, but Safdar announced the nomination of his brother Tahir Ali.
The family of late MNA Faiz Mohammad became unhappy and turned to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl. The JUI-F fielded Laiq Mohammad Khan, brother of Faiz Mohammad, who went on to win the by-election.
Similarly, a race for attractive offices and positions between the two former chief ministers and Secretary General Zafar Iqbal Jhagra is also on since long. Both the former CM’s have made hectic efforts to make former finance minister Sartaj Aziz the secretary general. However, Aziz had declined the offer and Nawaz had nominated Jhagra for the office for a third term.
In 2012 Senate elections, Jhagra’s confirm victory was converted into a defeat by none other than party’s provincial high command, who rejected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s offer of fielding consensus candidates.
Also, only to ensure Jhagra’s loss, Sabir Shah nominated billionaire Nisar Mohammad Khan from Malakand as one of PML-N candidates.
Nisar’s elder brother Fida Mohammad was affiliated with the PPP-Sherpao. Nisar, without being a PML-N member, became Senator on its general seat, while Jhagra faced defeat on the technocrat’s seat. The long standing rifts in the PML-N ranks worsened further when Amir Muqam announced joining the PML-N.
Prior to the announcement, Sabir Shah and Sardar Mehtab Abbassi had made hectic efforts to block his entry, but both were unable to resist Farid Toofan who facilitated a meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Amir Muqam.
In fact, Toofan has been known to Nawaz since 1989 when the latter made an attempt to toppling Aftab Sherpao-led PPP government in then NWFP. Now with the differences in the PML-N being no more secret, the scenario could be extremely harmful for its future in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular and the rest of the country in general. Almost all diehard party stalwarts who remained loyal to Sharifs during Musharraf’s era are unhappy with the entrance of Amir Muqam and his aides.
Muqam has assured almost all his loyalists tickets in the next general election, while old activists want otherwise and all loyal workers are reluctant to support Amir Muqam.
It seems hard for Capt (r) Safdar to work with Sabir Shah and Sardar Mehtab, while Jhagra is also not on good terms with the two.
The party leadership’s carelessness could cause the party an irreparable loss, therefore, its needs to take early steps for resolving all rifts, possible with a complete reshuffling.
