Joining by Zia’s cousin raises eyebrows in PPP

[LahoreEstate]

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
By Faizan Bangash

LAHORE

INCLUSION of controversial figures in the Pakistan People’s Party without seeking approval from the party hierarchy has irked the senior leadership.

The party insiders on Tuesday stated that provincial leadership of the party had taken strong exception to the decision of including Mian Abdul Waheed, a former MNA and cousin of Gen Ziaul Haq, in the party without seeking approval from the party hierarchy. The party leaders in Lahore and other districts have been directed to ensure approval from the party senior leadership before giving membership to anyone, particularly those who had been controversial figures in the past.

The sources in the PPP said the recent joining of the cousin of Ziaul Haq, a ruler against whom the PPP continued for a long struggle for the restoration of democracy from 1977 to 1988 after the execution of its founder Zulkikar Ali Bhutto, raised several eyebrows in the PPP cadres.

The decision of giving Mian Abdul Waheed the membership the party was taken without seeking permission from the party’s provincial leadership, sources stated. The decision was taken at a moment when PPP Punjab President Rana Aftab was not even in the provincial metropolis and the party insiders said the PPP Lahore President Asghar Gujjar took this bold step on his own, which not only criticized the party leadership but also annoyed most of the jialas.

The first such example was seen quite earlier when, during a press conference, most of the PPP workers staged a walkout by disagreeing the decision of including Ziaul Haq’s close relatives in the party.

Similarly, most of the PPP members, who were already quite perplexed over the cornering of close aides of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, including Naheed Khan, Senator Safdar Abbasi, are now questioning rationale behind allowing a person, who remained in the closest circles of Ziaul Haq, enter the party.

This is noteworthy that till her death, the slain PPP chairperson showed no flexibility towards the ‘remnants’ of Zia regime but this unique example has raised many questions and added to the criticism by the party workers.

When contacted, some senior members of the PPP Punjab expressed their displeasure with the decision and asserted that the leadership was not consulted before the move.

The party sources revealed that keeping in view the recent controversial decision, the local leadership of the PPP had been asked by the Punjab leadership to avoid many hasty decisions and seek approval before taking any such step.

In a message conveyed to the PPP Lahore president and other leaders of the district, the party’s provincial hierarchy has asked them to inform the provincial leadership, which would present any case before the party co-chairman and all decisions would be made after completing the party process.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=159511