‘PPP’s Buzdar’

Gloom has descended upon the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) camp in Punjab following the surprising appointment of a relatively unknown figure as the governor of Punjab, dashing hopes of any resurgence of the party in the province, according to senior party leaders. While some senior leaders within the party have pointed fingers at powerful circles for pulling strings to secure Sardar Saleem's elevation to the governorship, others have cast a suspicious eye towards Raja Pervez Ashraf. Furthermore, there are murmurs of discontent branding Sardar Saleem as a compromised candidate. Others are pointing fingers at all the above, suggesting that every single factor had a hand in reaching down to this appointment. Read President appoints governors in three provinces South Punjab President Makhdom Ahmad Mehmood, who was a contender himself, has stepped down from his party position. Meanwhile, Qamar Zaman Kaira, one of the strongest candidates in the running, reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment. However, sources claim that PPP Chairman Bilawal has approached him and assured him of a favourable position. Shortly after a power-sharing agreement was struck between PML-N and PPP, wherein, among other things, the governorships of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were conceded to PPP, several frontrunners emerged. However, from the outset, these frontrunners were categorised as favourites of either the PPP chairman or the PPP president. "So, a person who only garnered a mere six thousand votes in the recent general elections, landing at an abysmal fourth place in NA 50 (Attock 2), is expected to bring about change and help the party regain its roots in Punjab? Excellent choice indeed," mocked a central Punjab office-bearer while speaking to The Express Tribune. He went on to term Sardar Saleem "PPP's Usman Burger" and claimed that he was merely a pawn of Raja Pervez Ashraf in the governor's house. Describing Sardar Saleem Haider as a nobody, he pointed out that he had only won once in 2008, a time when several party leaders succeeded in Punjab due to the tragic death of slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto. Expressing disbelief at the party's hopes for revival with such credentials, he remarked, "Lord have mercy on all of us." Another leader from central Punjab said that it's not merely a matter of being old-fashioned but rather a concern about Saleem's ability to connect with the younger generation, which is the party's main hope in Punjab. He noted Saleem's background as a leader from the Potohar belt limits his understanding of the dynamics of central Punjab.

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/WdbBR2s