LAHORE: At a time when ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is facing a hard time after the ouster of former premier Nawaz Sharif, a die-hard worker has offered everything to the party leadership but in return expect something ‘big’ for his loyalty.
Politics in Pakistan is considered a rich man’s business and is rarely within the reach of the common man. Political parties do manage to attract ordinary people who join their favourite parties on the basis of ideology or the charisma of their leadership.
Adnan Khalid Kamboh, a die-hard worker of ruling PML-N is running from pillar to post since the land mafia had grabbed his single-storey house located near Niazi Adda. He said the influential people first looted 10 tolas of gold and Rs 50,000 from his house, and later occupied his two and a half marla property.
Adnan Khalid said that he had lodged several complaints with Shera Kot police but no action had been taken against the influential land mafia yet. He said, “Shera Kot police are backing the land mafia instead of helping me. A police constable from Sanda police station, namely Zulfikar Ali, is directly involved in grabbing my house.”
Talking to this scribe, Adnan said, “I tried to contact local member of provincial assembly (MPA) Mian Marghoob Ahmed, party leaders Khawaja Hassan Ahmed, Khawaja Imran Nazir and UC-104 Chairman Shuja Butt, but they did not help me.” He, however, admitted that Khawaja Imran Nazir had once given him Rs 135,000 financial assistance in 2015.
“We are eight siblings and my three sisters are also committed workers of the PML-N. We are all members of the party. I voluntarily mobilise people whenever there was a public meeting or rally of the party. My mother and grandmother also accompanied me to most rallies held by the PML-N,” Adnan said.
He claimed that he submitted his nomination papers for a provincial assembly seat (PP-155) in 2013, but did not contest elections on the orders of top party brass. He claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif and member of National Assembly (MNA) Hamza Shahbaz, personally knew him due to his 30-year long association with the party. He also said that he had met all of them on different occasions and in various political rallies.
Adnan claimed that he was beaten, dragged and tortured during the rule of former dictator Pervez Musharraf and was forced to change his loyalty, but he refused do so. Adnan complained, “Now the situation has become so worse that people have started criticising me for my affiliation with PML-N. They say what have you got in return for your loyalty and sloganeering in favour of party leadership for years?”
He appealed to CM Shehbaz, MNA Hamza Shahbaz and Maryam Nawaz to take notice of his plight and help him recover his house from the land grabbers.
