If the PPP are being challenged in Lyari of all places, then that is really troublesome for BB.
PPP faces trouble in Lyari
A new political group within the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has emerged in Lyari which has caused a serious dent to the PPP’s aspirations in the area, disclosed sources. The rebel group is headed by Waja Karimdad Baloch - a twice-elected the MNA from Lyari. The other members of the group are Town Nazim, Malik Fayyaz; former Sindh Peoples Youth President, Shakoor Shad; brother of twice-elected MPA, Khaliq Jumma, Haroon Rasheed and various councillors of the area. NA-248, a Baloch-dominated constituency which is regarded as the safest seat of the PPP in Sindh, is witnessing infighting. The group delivers a severe blow to the PPP’s high command, which is quite sceptical of the new development that has emerged in the PPP’s traditional seat.
Called the ‘Workers Group’, it has started its campaign in Lyari from football and boxing clubs and are also engaged in door-to-door canvassing against the former MNA Nabil Gabol’s group. When contacted, Gabol, who is contesting for the said National Assembly seat, denied any such pressure group adding that this happened in every election, wherein those workers who were not awarded party tickets attempted to blackmail the party leadership. Such groups have always emerged in the past too, but, as the withdrawal date approaches, they withdraw their candidates, said Gabol. The only policy of these groups is to pressurise party leaders to secure some sort of advantage for themselves - i.e to be posted as advisor or some other post in the party. The local leaders of the PPP, the source said, had misguided the party high command, which was the basic reason that there was a rift within the party, causing differences among active party workers who showed serious resentment over party tickets’ distribution.
The Workers Group blamed Gabol for ignoring the problems of Lyariites and alleged that being a MNA from Lyari he never dared to speak about Lyari in the National Assembly during his whole parliamentary period. They also blamed some people in the PPP for misguiding Benazir Bhutto about the factual position of Lyari. They claimed that Lyari is always neglected by certain people of the party and instead of allotting tickets to Lyariites they have given tickets to outsiders and the Workers Group will contest the elections as a protest. Shakoor Shad, former President Peoples Youth Forum, has fielded his candidature against Gabol from the said constituency. Shad, an active worker, is said to be a close aide of the late Munawar Suharwardy, Information Secretary, PPP. The sources, however, confided to The News that the new group was backed by Town Nazim, Malik Fayyaz, and his coordinator Habib Hasan, Haroon Rasheed, brother of late Khaliq Juma twice-elected PPP MPA who had also remained the town Nazim. Fayyaz had given clean sweep to his opponent Malik Mohammed Khan, a PPP-backed candidate in the local bodies election, and enjoys support from different communities living in Lyari - especially the Niazis and Minawalis. The News learnt, through reliable sources, that a rift within the party was created as the die hard PPP workers were ignored during party tickets distribution and there was harsh resentment among the Lyariites over allocating a ticket to Nabil Gabol. The concerned area people showed great dissatisfaction over Gabol’s performance, who, they said, had never visited his constituency and never raised a voice against the gang war in the parliament - even though the situation was so serious that people had decided to migrate from the area. Banners and flags of the Workers Group were hoisted at the roof tops of the buildings, elevated beside the portraits of an October 18 blast victim. The PPP banners and flags were overshadowed by the Workers Group’s posters and flags. The political situation, though still not in favour of the Workers Group, has generated a heated debate among the youths of Lyari, which could turn violent, the source said.
