Political parties headed by such leaderships want to bring democracy to Pakistan.
Personality cult in Pakistani politics
Awami National Party’s incumbent President Asfandyar Wali Khan is all set to retain the top slot for the third consecutive term next month, contrary to the party’s constitution. Not only, Asfandyar, some other key party office-bearers are also expected to retain their posts for the third time, after the 550-member Central Council’s nod. As such the ANP president’s election early next month will be a formality, as no one is prepared to contest for the slot, party sources told The News here on Tuesday. The sitting party leader became its head in 1999 and again in 2003, completing the four-year term twice. It will be a rare occasion that after his father late Khan Abdul Wali Khan, who also served three terms, Asfandyar will be completing hat-trick as ANP chief. The party’s constitution, mostly based on the document prepared in 1930 when late Khan Abdul Ghaffar had launched the Khudai Khidmatgar movement, envisages two terms for any office-bearer. “Yes, the central council has the mandate to allow any office-bearer to serve three terms. However, there is no plan at hand to amend the party constitution accordingly,” maintained the party’s Central Information Secretary Zahid Khan while talking to The News. It is understood that in the given situation in the country, particularly in the NWFP and tribal belt, there is no other choice than the incumbent president continuing for another term. It is a consensus opinion, he contended. The election process from local to provincial level will be completed by the end of this month with the NWFP president being elected on April 12, Punjab president on April 15 and Balochistan president on April 25. ANP’s Sindh chief was elected on April 02, Zahid Khan said.
**Can it be called need of the hour, dearth of brilliant minds, or autocratic style in politics that majority of political parties in Pakistan are headed by one individual unchallenged for years and years. For instance, Benazir Bhutto is Pakistan People’s Party’s lifetime chairperson, Nawaz Sharif has been Pakistan Muslim League leader for so many years now and the same is the case with other political parties, including Altaf Hussain of the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement. Qazi Hussain Ahmed continues to be Ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami for more than a decade. **