HYDERABAD: Makhdoom Jamiluz­zaman, a Pakistan Peoples Party MNA from Hala, has expressed his sheer disappointment over performance of his party’s Punjab chapter, saying that PPP will have to endeavour in the biggest province if it wants to see Bilawal becoming the prime minister.

“[PPP chairman] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari cannot become PM with Sindh’s votes alone. Punjab PPP leaders have been holding important party positions yet they are failing [to drum up requisite strength in parliament] to make Bilawal premier. Therefore, they must step down or be removed,” he said.

The Makhdoom was speaking at a ceremony held in a local hotel on Wednesday evening to celebrate 85th birth anniversary of his father and veteran party leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who also served the party as PPP-Parliamentarians president in the last years of his life.

After recounting his father’s unparalleled contributions to the party, Jamiluzzaman recalled that he (Jamiluzzaman], like many other party fellows, had bagged votes with the pledge to make Bilawal premier. “Bilawal can’t become PM with Sindh’s votes alone. Punjab’s leaders hold party positions yet they are unable to have sufficient votes of Punjab’s MNAs required to make Bilawal the PM. Bilawal loses in Lahore, the birthplace of PPP,” he quipped, wondering as to where PPP’s Punjab stalwarts have gone.

Jamiluzzaman says those holding key party positions there must quit or be removed

He observed that voters were same and they were opting for Mariam Nawaz and Imran Khan, except Bilawal Bhutto. “Why these votes don’t go to Bilawal? How will Bilawal become PM? Why is Punjab’s PPP sleeping?” he asked. “And why Punjab’s people are holding important party positions? They must step down or be removed,” he remarked.

Jamiluzzaman mentioned Makhdoom family’s long association with the PPP and its unflinching support for the party ever since it was founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He recalled how PPP grew bigger and bigger in Hala with people joining it in large numbers.

He pointed out that after the 2008 general elections, Asif Ali Zardari scored remarkable achievements for the PPP by grabbing all top constitutional positions at one time which had not been seen even in Z.A. Bhutto or Benazir’s era.

Paying homage to his father Makhdoom Amin Fahim, he said: “My grandpa [Makhdoom Talibul Maula, the 17th Sajjadah Nasheen of Ghous-ul-Haq Makhdoom Sarwar Nooh shrine who inherited spiritual leadership of the Sarwari Jammat in Hala] had joined PPP on my father’s advice. Custodians of other shrines started joining PPP later. My father stood with PPP till his last breath”.

He regretted that despite his long association with PPP, his father faced false cases which were registered to tarnish his image. “I and my son also faced such cases. A respectable person confided it to me as to whose behest it was done. This man can disclose it on my request. But we have forgiven all this,” he remarked.

He said people used to advice his father to quit PPP and then to him in 2018 as well arguing that the party didn’t give anything to him. “It’s fact that except for a few weak ministries, what did party offer to us, to my jamaat and my men?” he asked in a complaining tone. He lamented that this was done by those who would dictate terms within PPP. He avoided mentioning that who were dictating terms.

Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman said: “It’s an era of ‘compromises’ and anyone becomes premier after compromising. PPP would have to resurrect itself. Sindh’s stalwarts are in assemblies but they have forgotton Sindh. After leaving Sukkur, no one remembers Sindh, but Karachi is remembered as the city gives revenue to nurture Pakistan. Airports of Sindhri and Hyderabad are lying dysfunctional and K-IV of Musharraf’s era remains incomplete,” he observed.

He said Bilawal alone could complete them. “We need our PM [Bilawal],” he stressed.

He said he was confident PM [Shehbaz Sharif] would not disappointment him if he would make a request to him for development works in Sindh. He said he would lead a delegation to meet Punjab leaders with the aim of reactivating PPP in that province. He said he would not leave the party, but those having positions [in Punjab} would certainly have to quit.

Jamiluzzaman said he had good ties with MQM-P’s Mustafa Kamal and Anis Kaimkhani. “Anis met me and I will invite him again to exchange views. Sarwari jamaat has votes in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Karachi and why not we vote for Muttahida candidates there. We are planning it and will go for it,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024