Indiscipline in the party ranks
By Nadeem Syed
More and more PML (N)'s parliamentarians are going astray: they are either found exceeding their limits while peddling influence or involved in highly immoral conduct unbecoming of any parliamentarian anywhere in the world to become a laughing stock in the public who already have a very dim view about the political class. What is going on in the PML (N) is the question that is shot at the journalists when the people see images of unruliness of the political leaders on TV. The PML (N) used to be a well-disciplined party, but not any longer, it seems. This should be worrisome phenomenon for the Sharif brothers. The other day a lady MPA from the PML (N) grabbed headlines when caught red-handed shopping her heart out from the stolen credit card. She appeared to be a habitual thief after watching the video clippings on TV channels. One silly act and she is now doomed to lose her seat in the Punjab Assembly. What a shame? But this is not the first case where PML (N) members have been found behaving like thug and not parliamentarians, trying to have their way illegally. Take the example of MNA Haji Pervaiz who lost his seat in the National Assembly after being indulged in impersonation. God knows who advised him to do graduation when it was no more a pre-condition to become an MNA. Munawar Gill, another MPA was involved in a rape case. He went underground as police carried out raids to arrest him. He only appeared after settling with the aggrieved party and nod from the party to escape any punishment. Another high profile case is that of Minister Ch. Abdul Gafoor's brazen conduct. He first confronted the Custom officials, stopped them from checking the luggage of his relatives. Then he ran after a lady MPA from the opposition displaying a placard against Shahbaz Sharif, probably in an attempt to please his leadership that how far he could go for them. On both occasion, he managed to survive, thanks to his strong links in the party. What Kh. Ajasam Sharif did the other day too should be an eye-opener. He stopped the LDA demolition squad from carrying out the departmental orders to facilitate a qabza group. He must have strong reasons to do that. He thrashed even some officials of LDA. The LDA top brass recommended a legal action against him. Another MPA from Faisalabad has been seen by everybody on the TV opening the shops of a plaza locked by the Excise department at the head of a violent mob that he himself provoked and moibilised. Before that some PML (N) leaders including MPAs were found orchestrating a violent agitation against the loadshedding. Similar complains were received from Rawalpindi where PML (N) leaders were involved in inciting the mob against the PPP government.
The Nation:Monday, July 13, 2009
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