Shahbaz keen to sort out party crisis in Sindh after Miftah’s resignation

LAHORE. President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif will be reaching Karachi today [Friday] to attend a meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership which is scheduled for Saturday. He will also represent the PML-N at PDM’s rally, scheduled for Sunday.

During his stay, Shahbaz will also meet key political figures and businessmen in the city.

“Shahbaz Sharif faces an uphill task of rebuilding his party in Sindh, especially in Karachi, where the PML-N hardly has any existence,” a senior PML-N leader told Bol News.

He said on Tuesday PML-N Sindh Secretary-General and former finance minister Sindh chapter Miftah Ismail resigned from the party over distribution of the party tickets for local government (LG) polls.

He disclosed that it all started earlier in August when angry PML-N workers stormed into the Muslim League House – the provincial party office near Karsaz area of Karachi – and damaged the facility, violently breaking the windowpanes and tearing posters of the party’s provincial leadership in protest over “unjustified” distribution of party tickets for the upcoming cantonment boards’ elections.

“This group of angry workers believe that the provincial leadership, particularly PML-N Sindh President Shah Mohammad Shah and General Secretary Miftah Ismail, distributed party tickets to their blue-eyed workers,” the senior party leader added.

Earlier, angry workers also rejected a committee formed for the distribution of tickets and urged the PML-N central leadership to formulate a new committee to distribute party tickets.

This tussle between the two groups led to Miftah resignation from party position.

“Shahbaz Sharif’s major reason for the Karachi visit is not actually the PDM Jalsa or its leadership meeting. He actually wants to sort out the issues confronting the party’s wing in Sindh,” the leader said.

He maintained that Shahbaz will take a final decision regarding accepting Miftah’s resignation after meeting both the groups.

“Shahbaz Sharif might personally want to replace Miftah and use this tussle between the two groups as an excuse to accept his resignation,” another party insider added. “It cannot be ruled out since Miftah belongs to Nawaz’s camp and is the best friend of former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who is also the PML-N senior vice president.”

“PML-N president is aware that the PML-N can’t stick to just one province (Punjab) if it wants to form a powerful government after the next general elections. Therefore, he will concentrate on strengthening the party body in Sindh and especially in Karachi,” a senior party leader added.

Earlier, Miftah Ismail in a letter to the party’s general secretary, Ahsan Iqbal, complained that “threatening, obnoxious and unacceptable language was used against him when the party workers attacked the PML-N office at Karsaz.

“All of this was proudly put on social media as well. The party issued show-cause notices to some of the culprits but no action has since been taken. However, even after the issuance of show-cause notices, threatening and aggressive speeches are continuing against me,” he lamented.

Miftah said some false propaganda is being spread against him that he had asked the party’s cantonment board candidates to delete pictures of certain national leaders which, he said, is absolutely false and baseless.

“After more than a decade in this party, where I have served to the best of my ability, I am neither going to prove my loyalty to anyone nor will tolerate threatening and personal attacks of this sort against me.

“Under these circumstances it has become impossible for me to be effective as the general secretary of Sindh PML-N. I therefore resign from this position with immediate effect. I thank you and the leadership for giving me the opportunity to serve as GS, Sindh PML-N,” the PML-N leader stated in his letter.