Nawaz Sharif’s Sindh visit still a futile attempt

Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s current visit to Sindh still appears to be a futile political stunt as his current activities would neither be beneficial for the party nor would they be able to create any problem for the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The PML-N chief was in Garhi Khero, a town of district Jacobabad on Tuesday, which was severely affected in 2010’s floods. On the second day, Wednesday, he arrived in Ratodero, the native town of former caretaker chief minister, Mumtaz Bhutto and the current constituency of PPP representatives. The personalities and tribes who organised Nawaz’s public meetings were political opponents of the ruling PPP however they never really challenged the PPP candidates in last general elections. The public participation in both meetings was not significant despite the fact that huddling people in the rural areas of Sindh had never been a problem for the local landlords and influential personalities. During the Ratodero meeting, Mumtaz Bhutto announced merger of her party, Sindh National Party (SNF) with the PML-N, however, the SNF could not clinch any seat in the past general elections. Instead, both leaders invited severe criticism from various circles. Bhutto, for joining a party which had openly supported the controversial Kalabagh Dam project and Nawaz, for inducting a nationalist politician and a person who had been opposing the construction of Kalabagh Dam. On the other hand, the ruling PPP has intensified efforts to induct political personalities in the party. Interestingly, most of those joining the PPP have been affiliated with the PML-N directly in the past. They include former federal minister Asghar Shah and provincial minister Syed Murad Ali Shah from Naushehro Feroze and Liaquat Jatoi-led Awami Alliance leaders from Dadu. It is learnt that former federal minister from Kashmore, Sardar Salim Jan Mazari, who had been with the PML-N, has also decided to join the PPP on May 11. Many of the political analysts are surprised to see a number of politicians joining a party during its last year in the government as this practice is against the political fads. According to political analysts, Nawaz would need to muster support from the politically influential families of Sindh, including Shirazis of Thatta, Jatois of Shikarpur and Mahers of Ghotki if he really wanted to pose a political threat to the ruling PPP. But it seems as if these politically influential families are still reluctant to decide their future course of action and instead have decided to wait and see which way the tide turns.