PTI
Imtiaz Ali and Jan Khaskheli
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Karachi
After its massive rally in the city on December 25, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) tsunami is a long way from sweeping the Urdu-speaking majority of the port city, but it has already made its presence felt in the PPP strongholds of Lyari and Malir.
Although Imran Khan has so far failed to impress the PPP big shots, several local leaders of the ruling party in Malir and Lyari have already succumbed to the temptation of joining the emerging PTI.
Some PPP leaders in Gadap, Bin Qasim and Malir are contemplating joining the PTI as, according to their group leader, the ruling party has failed to deliver. PPPs leader in Malir Hakeem Baloch, former provincial minister Haji Shafi Muhammad Jamot and former Nazim Malir Khuda Dino Shah are engaged in talks with PTI leaders, sources said.
Shafi Muhammad Jamot, who is considered the group leader of different communities living in Malir, arranged a luncheon at his residence in Ibrahim Haidery on Tuesday to chalk out their future course of action.
The luncheon was attended by PTIs central Vice Chairman Admiral (retd) Javed Iqbal, Hakeem Baloch, Khuda Dino Shah, Hussain Lashkari of Rehri Goth, Yusuf Shah of Ibrahim Haideri and other political and community leaders of the Malir district.
One of the participants of the meeting told The News that except Jam of Malir Jam Bijar, who is the chief of the Jokhio tribe, almost all other community leaders of the area attended the luncheon.
Prior to the luncheon, PTIs Senior Vice President Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with Shafi Jamot and others on Monday. The sources said that Jamot had informed Qureshi that he would have to consult other elders in Malir before taking a final decision.
In Tuesdays meeting, the influential political leaders of the area decided in principle to join the PTI, triggering anxiety among the PPP leadership. However, Hakeem Baloch, a member of the PPP Sindh Council, denied joining the PTI. He told The News he attended the luncheon at the invitation of his friend Shafi Jamot.
But Baloch, who served as Sindhs health minister during the first PPP government following the prolonged military rule of Gen Zia, said that he had reservations over the leadership of the PPP due to the deteriorating law and order situation and lack of development works in Malir.
Shafi Jamot told The News that he had invited PTI leader Admiral Javed Iqbal to the luncheon because they were old friends. Since, we both are politicians naturally the current political situation was discussed.
Jamot also admitted that they were frustrated over the performance of the PPP in Sindh. The PPP rule has given nothing to Malir except crimes, he said. The former chairman Malir Zila council added that he and other friends were involved in consultation before taking a final decision about joining the PTI.
Hakeem Baloch and Shafi Jamot had formed the Peoples Alliance to contest general elections in 2002. Later, Hakeem Baloch joined the PPP and contested for the provincial assembly seat in the 2008 elections from the PPPs platform. He was defeated.
Lyari, the PPPs traditional stronghold, is also being encroached upon by the PTIs tsunami. Suddenly, several members of the Mianwali community in the area have raised PTI flags over their residences. The Mianwali community comprises almost 15 percent of the 1.1 million total population of Lyari.
A local leader, Sher Muhammad Rais, said that many youngsters from Lyari took part in the PTIs momentous rally at the Quaids Mazar. He said all Mianwali people were not PPP supporters, as some of them voted for the PML-N. Rais believed that the majority Baloch population in Lyari might be frustrated over the PPPs performance, but they would not leave the Bhuttos legacy.
Meanwhile, a large number of political cadres associated with the PPP or Sindhi nationalist groups in Karachis suburban areas have joined the PTI. They include President Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) Malir District Awais Dahar, former president Sindh National Front Labour Wing Jan Mohammed Jani, community elders Gulzar Lashari, Ali Nawaz Magsi and Zainal Abdin.
They announced their decision in a corner meeting organised by the PTI in Malir. In a bid to persuade Sindhs nationalist groups to support Imrans party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi met chief of Sindh United Party Jalal Mehmood Shah and some other leaders on Monday.
The sources said that in view of the changing political landscape in the province, nationalist parties were planning on showing off their mass mobilisation powers on January 17 in Sann Town.
After Imrans rally, the PPP flaunted its political strength on Benazirs fourth death anniversary at Garhi Khuda Bux. The nationalists intend to do the same on the birth anniversary of late GM Syed falling on January 17.
All the nationalist groups and the like-minded politicians and parliamentarians are being invited to evolve consensus for a future electoral alliance, said Qamar-u-Zaman Rajpar, a member of the SUPs Executive Committee.
Rajpar claimed that former Sindh chief ministers Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Liaquat Jatoi, Sindh Taraqi Passand Party chief Dr Qadir Magsi, Awami Tahrik head Ayaz Latif Paleejo and Sindh National Front (SNF) head Mumtaz Ali Bhutto were engaged in talks to contest the next general elections from a joint platform.
About the meeting between Jalal Mahmood Shah and Qureshi, Rajpar said they wanted to know the PTIs stance on what he called the national question to resolve the issues of Balochistan and Sindh.
We observed during the meeting that the PTI does not have a clear stand on the national question and host of other issues, which were dear to the people of Sindh. Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah told The News that our doors are open for talks with the PTI, PPP, PML-N or any other party. He said they believed in provincial autonomy and Qureshi had sought time to respond to their demands.
Imtiaz Ali and Jan Khaskheli
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Karachi
After its massive rally in the city on December 25, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insafs (PTI) tsunami is a long way from sweeping the Urdu-speaking majority of the port city, but it has already made its presence felt in the PPP strongholds of Lyari and Malir.
Although Imran Khan has so far failed to impress the PPP big shots, several local leaders of the ruling party in Malir and Lyari have already succumbed to the temptation of joining the emerging PTI.
Some PPP leaders in Gadap, Bin Qasim and Malir are contemplating joining the PTI as, according to their group leader, the ruling party has failed to deliver. PPPs leader in Malir Hakeem Baloch, former provincial minister Haji Shafi Muhammad Jamot and former Nazim Malir Khuda Dino Shah are engaged in talks with PTI leaders, sources said.
Shafi Muhammad Jamot, who is considered the group leader of different communities living in Malir, arranged a luncheon at his residence in Ibrahim Haidery on Tuesday to chalk out their future course of action.
The luncheon was attended by PTIs central Vice Chairman Admiral (retd) Javed Iqbal, Hakeem Baloch, Khuda Dino Shah, Hussain Lashkari of Rehri Goth, Yusuf Shah of Ibrahim Haideri and other political and community leaders of the Malir district.
One of the participants of the meeting told The News that except Jam of Malir Jam Bijar, who is the chief of the Jokhio tribe, almost all other community leaders of the area attended the luncheon.
Prior to the luncheon, PTIs Senior Vice President Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with Shafi Jamot and others on Monday. The sources said that Jamot had informed Qureshi that he would have to consult other elders in Malir before taking a final decision.
In Tuesdays meeting, the influential political leaders of the area decided in principle to join the PTI, triggering anxiety among the PPP leadership. However, Hakeem Baloch, a member of the PPP Sindh Council, denied joining the PTI. He told The News he attended the luncheon at the invitation of his friend Shafi Jamot.
But Baloch, who served as Sindhs health minister during the first PPP government following the prolonged military rule of Gen Zia, said that he had reservations over the leadership of the PPP due to the deteriorating law and order situation and lack of development works in Malir.
Shafi Jamot told The News that he had invited PTI leader Admiral Javed Iqbal to the luncheon because they were old friends. Since, we both are politicians naturally the current political situation was discussed.
Jamot also admitted that they were frustrated over the performance of the PPP in Sindh. The PPP rule has given nothing to Malir except crimes, he said. The former chairman Malir Zila council added that he and other friends were involved in consultation before taking a final decision about joining the PTI.
Hakeem Baloch and Shafi Jamot had formed the Peoples Alliance to contest general elections in 2002. Later, Hakeem Baloch joined the PPP and contested for the provincial assembly seat in the 2008 elections from the PPPs platform. He was defeated.
Lyari, the PPPs traditional stronghold, is also being encroached upon by the PTIs tsunami. Suddenly, several members of the Mianwali community in the area have raised PTI flags over their residences. The Mianwali community comprises almost 15 percent of the 1.1 million total population of Lyari.
A local leader, Sher Muhammad Rais, said that many youngsters from Lyari took part in the PTIs momentous rally at the Quaids Mazar. He said all Mianwali people were not PPP supporters, as some of them voted for the PML-N. Rais believed that the majority Baloch population in Lyari might be frustrated over the PPPs performance, but they would not leave the Bhuttos legacy.
Meanwhile, a large number of political cadres associated with the PPP or Sindhi nationalist groups in Karachis suburban areas have joined the PTI. They include President Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) Malir District Awais Dahar, former president Sindh National Front Labour Wing Jan Mohammed Jani, community elders Gulzar Lashari, Ali Nawaz Magsi and Zainal Abdin.
They announced their decision in a corner meeting organised by the PTI in Malir. In a bid to persuade Sindhs nationalist groups to support Imrans party, Shah Mehmood Qureshi met chief of Sindh United Party Jalal Mehmood Shah and some other leaders on Monday.
The sources said that in view of the changing political landscape in the province, nationalist parties were planning on showing off their mass mobilisation powers on January 17 in Sann Town.
After Imrans rally, the PPP flaunted its political strength on Benazirs fourth death anniversary at Garhi Khuda Bux. The nationalists intend to do the same on the birth anniversary of late GM Syed falling on January 17.
All the nationalist groups and the like-minded politicians and parliamentarians are being invited to evolve consensus for a future electoral alliance, said Qamar-u-Zaman Rajpar, a member of the SUPs Executive Committee.
Rajpar claimed that former Sindh chief ministers Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Liaquat Jatoi, Sindh Taraqi Passand Party chief Dr Qadir Magsi, Awami Tahrik head Ayaz Latif Paleejo and Sindh National Front (SNF) head Mumtaz Ali Bhutto were engaged in talks to contest the next general elections from a joint platform.
About the meeting between Jalal Mahmood Shah and Qureshi, Rajpar said they wanted to know the PTIs stance on what he called the national question to resolve the issues of Balochistan and Sindh.
We observed during the meeting that the PTI does not have a clear stand on the national question and host of other issues, which were dear to the people of Sindh. Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah told The News that our doors are open for talks with the PTI, PPP, PML-N or any other party. He said they believed in provincial autonomy and Qureshi had sought time to respond to their demands.
