Amid growing disquiet and discontent in
the ranks of the nascent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in Azad
Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), some of its senior members are reportedly trying hard
to persuade Prime Minister Imran Khan to summon a parliamentary party meeting
to help him have a first-hand information about their concerns and
apprehensions, it has been reliably learnt.
The efforts have picked up pace after
the AJK Prime Minister, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, got released a flattering
“analysis” from the Press Information Department (PID), showering lavish praise
on him for his “political wisdom and achievements in a short span of time.”
“Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi's popularity
is on a constant rise and by taking farsighted decisions, revolutionary steps
and people friendly policies he has given substance to his nomination by Imran
Khan… His political acuity has landed opponents in deep waters and proved him
a man of strong nerves,” claimed the press release.
Interestingly, a section of the
vernacular press had an addition of some scornful remarks about Mr Niazi’s opponents
in this PID fed analysis.
“The political acuity and sagacity of
PM Niazi have frustrated the shenanigans of political pygmies within the PTI,”
it said, without naming anyone.
It however transpired later that this addition was made by an Islamabad based journalist belonging to Mr Niazi’s constituency - the only media person close to him.
Sources claimed that the press
release was issued to ward off growing resentment against Mr Niazi within the
parliamentary party for several reasons.
Background interviews by this scribe
with some cabinet members on condition of anonymity revealed that most of them
were unhappy with Mr Niazi for being “constantly ignored in affairs related to
their respective portfolios.”
What had particularly ruffled their
feathers were the frequent shuffling in top bureaucracy "without any
consultation with them" as well as inductions against some important
discretionary posts of persons who had allegedly opposed the PTI candidates
during election campaign.
“People voted us to power to make good
of the wrongdoings of the past, something we were also tasked with by [Imran]
Khan Sahib from the day one. But, ironically, so far we have not been able to
make substantial progress towards it due to lack of coordination with and
cooperation from the office of the [AJK] prime minister,” fumed one cabinet
member.
Another minister maintained that the
AJK people had voted the PTI to run the affairs of government and not any
“particular family.”
“While the former prime minister was
running the government through bureaucracy, the incumbent [Mr Niazi] is doing
this through some of his close relations instead of the cabinet,” he
alleged.
“One kinsman [of PM] looks after the
affairs of the south [of AJK] and the other of the north… They hold no official
positions but are brazenly using official vehicles and making decisions,” he
added.
More than five ministers this
scribe spoke to confirmed that some senior party leaders had been trying
to draw attention of the party chairman [PM Khan] towards the “sorry state of
affairs in AJK.”
They were of the view that Prime Minister Khan was not being fed with the actual information of the situation on the ground.
Ever since the formation
of government he had not held an exclusive meeting with AJK’s parliamentary
party which had now become inevitable for the sake of party’s goodwill, they
said, adding, the meeting was bound to help Mr Khan have a first-hand knowledge
of the concerns and reservations of party lawmakers “as everyone would speak
out his heart before him without any fear or favour.”
When contacted by this scribe, minister
for information and law, Sardar Faheem Akhtar Rabbani said every lawmaker could
harbour a desire to hold a meeting with the party chairman and there was
nothing wrong with it.
“If they want the chairman to summon
the parliamentary party meeting where they can present their viewpoint, they
can convey this desire to him through party’s [regional president,” he said,
referring to senior minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas.
Mr Rabbani dismissed allegations that
Mr Niazi was not taking ministers on board on official matters.
“Look, the powers of the prime minister
and ministers are defined in the statues. If anyone [minister] has any
grievances, he should talk to the prime minister,” he maintained.
It may be recalled that in December
last year, some of the 17 PTI parliamentary party members, including 10
ministers and one adviser, had also expressed the same concerns with President
Barrister Sultan Mahmood, which his office had cautiously touched upon in a
press release issued after the get-together.
On his part, President Mahmood had
also expressed disaffection with the government’s performance by observing that
neither could it create goodwill among the masses nor were the PTI workers
satisfied with it.
Interestingly, PTI’s regional
president and senior minister Tanveer Ilyas was not invited by Mr Mahmood at
that meeting, because both were at loggerheads with each other right from
pre-election days.
However, of late both
have mended fences with each other and resolved to “jointly struggle for
freedom of occupied Kashmir and betterment of governance in AJK.”
Interestingly, the opposition parties
are enjoying the discord within the ruling party.
"Whatever and however hollow claims the PTI government may make in official handouts, its performance is dismal both in and outside the assembly... Their slip-ups amuse us," remarked Leader of the Opposition, Chaudhry Latif Akbar.
...Tariq Naqash
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