After losing with a big margin in the general polls in Sindh, the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), which was once considered as the new alternate to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has been hit hard by infighting and internal party differences, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The party leadership is now ditching the Pir Pagara-led PML-F staying aloof of political activity to avoid controversy in the party’s matters. The major cause, according to insiders, was the inefficiency of the senior party leadership.
In this regard, a senior official of the party, the president cultural wing and a group of more than 200 activists who played a major role in lobbying against the PPP, have become victims of the leadership’s apathy.
In 2010, a well known television artist Ghulab Chandio was appointed the president of the PML-F’s cultural wing but he recently resigned after being sidelined by senior leaders like Imtiaz Shaikh, sources added.
The party activist’s resignation letter, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today read “With due and foremost respect I Ghulab Chandio, President Cultural Wing PML-F Sindh would humbly request your kind and final attention. This started three years ago when I was appointed as the president of this wing which I later on worked and organized. But since there was no formal secretariat, funds and appreciation by the party, I selflessly and honestly continued performing duties for the welfare of the party and its leadership.”
The letter further read “Before, the elections, in a meeting with Imtiaz Shaikh and Salahuddin Tunio, I was asked to fill out application forms for the elections of Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA) from PS-24 Nawabshah and so I agreed to the orders.
After wards, till the elections were over I was not even contacted once, and nor was I guided about what would follow. I personally contacted each and every representative including Yunus Sain, Pir Pagara but despite all these efforts I am still waiting for a call from any party leader. No one has responded to my queries”, the letter adds.
“I am reputed and responsible person who is respected world wide for his work and personality. What has happened with me in the past few weeks has been a drastic blow to my self esteem. Throughout these three-four years all the meetings I arranged the meetings even in Pir Sahab’s Jalsa in Hyderabad. I swear I never asked for funds from any individual. Which Imtiaz Shaikh would also testify,” the letter further states.
The author further wrote how in spite of political pressure by other parties, bribes, even life threats and attacks he had kept faith and strengthened his loyalties to the party and its leadership. He narrated how he had been approached by different political parties and offered handsome gifts which he had refused for the PML-F’s sake.
Sources privy to the PML-F leadership confirmed that the resignation of Ghulab Chandio had been received by the party leadership and Pir Pagara had instructed Imtiaz Shaikh and others to persuade the president of PML-F’s cultural wing to not leave the party as his reservations would be resolved. However, Ghulab Chandio, when contacted, told
Pakistan Today that he would ever again work with the PML-F due to it’s the attitude of its leadership.