Even after a lapse of 24 months, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is yet to complete its party reorganisation and the inordinate delay is proving to be a dent in the Sharifs’ armour. The delay has made its inroads deep into the party’s basic infrastructure and badly undermined its tiers. And it is unfortunate that all of it is happening in clear knowledge of the PML-N leadership. The first tremor caused by the delay in the reorganisation was severely felt at the PML-N’s Bhaati Chowk rally, in which the party’s street power could not be mobilised to the max. The party’s various wings remained missing in action and MNAs and MPAs tasked to bring the people could not perform up to the mark.
“A similar phenomenon is going to rattle the PML-N again in the next rally being organised in Faisalabad on November 20 and later in Gujranwala. Though Nawaz Sharif’s return to the political scene would create some difference, but the reorganisation factor would also throw a spanner in the works,” said a senior party leader. Among others, one reason behind the hold-up is that the PML-N is waiting for heavyweights –dissidents of various political parties weighing up final options to join the party. After their inclusion, the leader said, vacant slots would be allotted to them. Meanwhile, a strong lobby that managed to occupy big seats after July 27, the day the PML-N filled all main slots through party polls, is also resisting further completion of the party reorganisation. Grouping in the PML-N ranks is also playing a negative role in the reorganisation process. In Punjab, CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Saad Rafiq were prominent in the race for provincial leadership. Clashes over the slots for Sindh and KP provincial leadership have also emerged, as Ghaus Ali Shah and Saranjam Khan, who served well even during the Sharifs’ exile, have been furious for not getting major slots in the party.
So much so, the PML-N also launched a membership drive that has remained at full throttle since 2009. A new programme was also put into play to increase the membership. But the campaign came to an abrupt end and nobody, even the party general council, central organising committee and mainstream leaders know about the strength of the new members.
At present, the party has completed reorganisation at the district level, excluding major cities like Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi. While presidents, vice presidents, deputy secretaries general, information and finance secretaries have been nominated, the decision on provincial leadership is hanging in balance.
The PML-N reorganisation got off the ground after the Shahbaz-led structure and all other organisations were dissolved in 2009 to pave the way for fresh party elections.
Last week, Nawaz chaired a meeting at Model Town to finalise the reorganisation plan. But things could not proceed any further. Talking to Pakistan Today, PML-N Secretary Information Mushahidullah Khan said the main slots had been filled already and the remaining would be allocated to eligible leaders in the coming days.
He said although the delay had impacted the performance, it was not inflicting great damage to the party.
