Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) - Justice Wajihuddin’s Charter of Demands
After his suspension from the party by the Chairman PTI, Justice
(r) Wajihuddin held a press conference in Lahore on August 14, 2015 in which
he presented his seven demands to the party leadership.1 He also said that he would travel to different districts across the country
to meet party workers and mobilise them to pressure the leadership for reforms.
Justice (r) Wajih’s demands included:
Formation of a task force to implement orders of PTI Election Tribunal
Formation of a committee to constitute an independent accountability commission
All central and provincial office-bearers of the party be de-notified
and remain ineligible for next intra-party elections
An interim set up be announced in consultation with representatives at
the central and provincial levels
PTI Election Commission be empowered and made resourceful to announce
a fresh intra-party schedule
Suspension of membership of office-bearers against whom allegations of
corruption, misuse of authority and manipulation of electoral and ticket
allocation process have been made
Formation of a National Reconciliation Commission for redressing the side-lined
ideological workers of the party
These demands have not received any response from PTI leadership,
however, on August 18, 2015, PTI website posted 10 questions for Justice (r)
Wajihuddin to answer regarding the PTI Election Tribunal’s findings and
his own sincerity towards the party. These questions were soon after removed
from the website and all social media networks. Nevertheless, Justice (r) Wajihuddin
did respond to these allegations one by one2. A threatening letter to him followed that circulated on the social
media by a group calling themselves ‘Insaf Tigers’ stating
that whoever would take a stand against Imran Khan should prepare for its consequences.3 The letter was strongly condemned by the party leadership and it was also
announced that the Chairman had ordered for a committee to be formed to investigate
this matter and find the people behind the threats.4
Although factions within a party are not an unheard phenomenon
in mature democracies and these factions compete for influence within the party
through democratic means, the open rebellion against the party leadership by
Justice ( R ) Wajihuddin is not something that is viewed favourably even in
developed democracies. Justice Wajih’s campaign is not limited to the
acceptance of demand for fresh and fair election within the party; at times
it looks as if he is projecting himself as an alternative leadership of the
party.
Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) - Reorganisation of the party in Punjab and Announcement of Intra-party
elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
According to media reports, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has taken
command over the party and has been focusing all his attention on the reorganisation
and revival of the party in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.5 He held meetings in Islamabad with party office bearers who represented
the city and district chapters of Faisalabad. They were also attended by Ms.
Faryal Talpur, MNA, former Prime Ministers Yousaf Raza Gillani and Raja Pervez
Ashraf, Punjab President Mian Manzoor Watto, Vice President PPP Senator Sherry
Rehman, Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira, General Secretary PPP Punjab
Tanveer Kaira, media advisor to Chairman PPP, ex-MNAs Nadeem Afzal Chan, Mehrin
Anwar Raja and Fouzia Habib.
The media cell of the party has reported that a host of issues
revolving around party organizational matters, current political situation and
the challenges facing the Party had been discussed.
For similar reasons, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also met
the PPP leaders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Zardari house Islamabad. Presided over
by the Chairman, those attending the meeting included Ms Faryal Talpur, Raja
Pervez Ashraf, senator Khanzada khan president PPP KPK, senator Sherry Rehman
Vice President PPP, Senator Rubina Khalid, ex Provincial Presidents Zahir Ali
Shah and Rahimdad Khan, Najmuddin Khan, Shuja Khan, Humayun Khan, Noor Alam
Afridi, Faisal Kundi, Muhammad Ali Shah MPA, Akhumzada Chittan President PPP
FATA, Aurangzeb Burki and Jamil Soomro media advisor chairman PPP.6
It was also announced by the Chairman that intra party elections
would be held in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and organizing committees
for holding these elections will be set up on the basis of broad based consultations.
Members of these committees will not be allowed to contest election to any party
office. The KPK meeting was attended by Barrister Masood Kausar, Lal Khan, Abdul
Akbar Khan, Tariq Khattak, Azam Afridi, Yawar Naseer, Tahir Abbas, Mian Muzaffar
Shah besides others. Ms Faryal Talpur, Sherry Rehman and Jameel Soomoro.
Also attended the meeting.7
A continuous series of meetings in Punajb and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
is showing that the Chairman PPP’s focus has expanded beyond Sindh but
the meetings focused largely on party organisational matters where he is trying
to play a more proactive role in its reorganisation and restoration as a national
party.
Awami National Party (ANP)
– Intra-party elections in Peshawar
Awami National Party conducted its intra-party elections at
provincial level in Mardan on August 11, 2015 wherein Mr. Sardar Hussain Babak
was elected unopposed as Provincial General Secretary, Mr. Haroon Bilour was
elected Provincial Information Secretary, Mr. Pervez Khan was elected as Provincial
Joint Secretary for Peshawar Zone and Mr. Nisar Khan as Joint Secretary for
Malakand Zone.8
The intra-party elections took place at a meeting of the party’s Provincial
Council that was chaired by ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Pakistan Muslim League
(PML-Q) - Announces reorganisation
In a statement issued by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)
President and former Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain,said that party’s
reorganization is due in the coming month (September, 2015) and internal elections
will be held accordingly, as reported by media sources.910
Intra-party elections of the PML are long overdue wherein under its own constitution,
elections are supposed to take place every 3 years. The last intra-party polls
in the centre took place in 2009 in which Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain was re-elected
unopposed as President of the party and Mr. Mushahid Hussain Sayed as the Secretary
General.11 However,
the party’s Punjab chapter did hold elections in February 2013 in which
Chaudhry Pervez Elahi was elected Provincial President of the party and Chaudhry
Zaheeruddin was appointed Provincial Secretary General.12
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl
(JUI-F) – Party leader tenders resignation
When Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited the MQM headquarters as
a representative of the Federal Government to persuade MQM legislators to withdraw
their resignations in the Senate, National Assembly and Sindh Assembly, JUI-F’s
Secretary General in Sindh Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro tendered his resignation
from the party as an expression of his reservation over JUI-F chief’s
decision.13 Media
reports have said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman did speak to Maulana Soomro on
the phone in which Maulana Fazal ur Rehman was advised on behalf of the party’s
Sindh chapter to not visit ‘Nine Zero’., Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s
decision to go ahead with the visit led to Soomro’s resignation, however,
it has not been reported yet whether his resignation was accepted or rejected.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) - Justice Wajihuddin’s Charter of Demands
Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) - Reorganisation of the party in Punjab and Announcement of Intra-party
elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Awami National Party (ANP)
– Intra-party elections in Peshawar
Pakistan Muslim League
(PML-Q) - Announces reorganisation
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl
(JUI-F) – Party leader tenders resignation