PPP Balochistan divided into two parties

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Minister claims former provincial party president’s resignation does not matter

By Malik Siraj Akbar

QUETTA: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government in Balochistan has entered a new round of infighting following the resignation of provincial party president Nawabzada Lashkari Raisani, who claimed party ministers did not support him.

According to sources, Lashkari has given the party an ultimatum of one month to either accept his resignation or convince him to withdraw it. Currently, the party lacks leadership at the provincial level.

The party is now divided into two factions – one led by Secretary General Bismillah Kakar and the other by Deputy Secretary General Syed Saadullah Shah. The faction headed by Saadullah supports the upcoming Workers’ Convention, while the other group insists the convention is meaningless without a party president. The secretary general recently sacked the deputy secretary general and the information secretary, Manan Gohar, however, they have refused to accept his decision and maintain they would persist with the convention.

Insignificant: On Wednesday, Balochistan Food Minister Haji Ali Madad Jattak from the PPP criticised Lashkari for levelling allegations of corruption on PPP ministers without substantiating the charges. He accused the former party president of disrespecting the party leaders. “Lashkari’s resignation does not matter. He is insignificant in the party,” he said, adding it was regrettable the PPP had been singled out by a leading American journalist, Ron Suskind, as an American agent. “The PPP is the party of the poor and there is no space for tribal chiefs and sardars in our party,” he said.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg7_26