GDA-PTI Rift

GDA parts ways with Imran Khan, saying it doesn’t agree with his anti-establishment narrative

KARACHI: The leader of the opposition Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) in Sindh province, Pir Syed Sibghatullah Rashedi, also known as Pir Pagara, has called for a dialogue between the ruling coalition and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party so as to bring the ongoing chaos in the country to an end.

Pir Pagar is president of the Sindh-based Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F) party. The GDA, of which he is the chairman, comprises several opposition groups in the province and has been an ally of the PTI.

But GDA is not part of Imran Khan’s recent ‘long march’ which he started with an aim to topple the government in Islamabad. The most obvious reason, according to observers, is Pir Pagara’s traditional pro-establishment politics. He thinks that Imran Khan’s recent anti-establishment narrative might trigger risks to the unity and integrity of the country.

Bol News spoke to a number of political activists and analysts to understand the GDA’s unfolding narrative.

Sardar Abdul Rahim Khan, Gen-Secy, PML-F; Information Secy, GDA

I think there must always be some flexibility in politics, and both the PTI and the ruling coalition need to initiate a dialogue to find middle ground. The powerful people behind the government should facilitate such a dialogue by creating a win-win situation for both sides.

PML-F has always stood with democratic forces, and PTI is also a democratic force, although our alliance with it was not an ideal one as the PTI did not consult the GDA on matters of Sindh province during its rule, even though we continued to support its government till the end.

But when the PTI decided to shun the parliament, the GDA did not agree with it, because the parliament is elected by the people and it’s incumbent on the parliamentarians to continue to represent and protect the interests of their respective constituencies.

I think the PTI is also realizing now that had it stayed on in the parliament, it could have promoted its politics in a more effective way and deny a smooth playing field to the current coalition government.

As far as the PTI’s long march is concerned, it is a solo flight. They never invited the GDA to join them. The PML-F has a long history of backing the Pakistan Army. Our activists have fought wars in aid of the army against India. We believe that tarnishing the image of a national institution is contrary to the interests of our country, and no one has done this before.

We are a patriotic party, and politicians like Pir Pagara are fully focused on working for the welfare of the people by ensuring unity and safety of the country. If given a task to resolve issues such as the ones involving the PTI at the moment, he can find a solution within days.

We do not have as many seats in the parliament as the PTI, but we have more political influence in Sindh as we are the second largest party here after the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP). Our alliance includes such grassroots political factions as PPP-Workers, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi’s National Peoples’ Party (NPP), Ayaz Latif Palijo’s Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) and individuals like Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Irfanullah Marwat.

Dr Safdar Abbasi, President PPP-W; Gen-Secy, GDA

Pir Pagara gave Imran Khan unconditional support at the parliamentary level, and we also stood behind PTI’s Haleem Adil Shaikh, leader of the opposition in Sindh assembly. However, serious differences emerged when Imran Khan walked out of the parliament without taking us into confidence. Almost all of PTI allies in Sindh, including MQM-P, PML-Q and others, have since parted ways with PTI.

We think that Imran Khan shouldn’t have quit the parliament. We could have formed a strong opposition. Right now, there is no opposition left except the three GDA members, namely Dr Fehmida Mirza, Ghous Bux Maher and Saira Bano.

As for the PTI’s long march, the GDA is not supporting it. Imran Khan has not been in touch with us ever since his government ended. He started his anti-establishment campaign all by himself, without consulting his political partners.

Prof Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed, Political Analyst

The current Pir Pagara does not match the towering personality of his late father, Pir Syed Shah Mardan Shah. His influence is limited to just a few districts of Sindh. Besides, his PML-F party, as well as the GDA alliance which he heads, cannot toe Imran Khan’s anti-establishment narrative because the Pirs of Pagara have always been staunch supporters of the military establishment. The late Pir Pagara joined national politics back in the 1960s mainly to promote the establishment’s version, and was always proud of it.

The late Pir Pagara’s political climax came when the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) was formed against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government in 1977. His stature continued to rise during the military regime of Gen Ziaul Haq that toppled Bhutto’s government soon afterwards.

After the army-sponsored non-party elections of 1985, one of the Pir’s disciples, Mohammad Khan Junejo, was brought in as the prime minister. Apart from obliging the Pir, the military also sought to counter the widespread political unrest in Sindh province in the aftermath of Bhutto’s death sentence by bringing in a Sindhi prime minister.

The GDA had joined the PTI’s government in the same vein. But once Imran Khan was out of power and embarked on an anti-establishment drive, it parted ways with him. Both PML-F and Imran Khan’s PTI offer no coherent political programme for the country; they just want to stay in power.

Abdul Khaliq Junejo, Chairman Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Khaliq (JSM-K)

PML-F pursues pro-establishment politics. Whenever it gets a nod to support a national politician, it will jump over and shake hands with her/him; and likewise when asked to shun someone.

Unlike his father, the present Pir Pagara has no political clout of his own. The only time he held a political office was when the military regime of Gen Ziaul Haq, on the recommendation of his father, appointed him as the provincial minister for irrigation. He disappeared from the political scene when democracy was restored in 1988, and remained so until 2018 when he played a role in putting together the GDA alliance to counter the PPP in Sindh.