LAHORE: Noted Makhdooms of South Punjab pleading the case of a separate province for Saraeki belt have interestingly spent major chunk of their career in power corridors where either they kept mum or merely gave lip service to this issue.
With not much time left in the general elections, a group of politicians from Southern Punjab has emerged as an advocate of the people of the Saraeki belt whereas Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, taking full advantage of the situation has also joined hands with it. In past as well, political parties have been doing politics over the issue and the politicians from the Southern belt of Punjab, despite enjoying executive and lucrative positions in ruling parties never did anything practically for this part of province that comprises of 11 districts as well as a population of over 30 million. The districts which are considered inarguably the part of Southern Punjab include Vehari, Multan, Khanewal, Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Layyah, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rahimyar Khan. Besides, the politicians also claim Sahiwal as part of the belt.
The recently formed Junoobi Punjab Mahaz (South Punjab Front) is headed by Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, a former MPA of 1997, an MNA and State Minister between 2002, 2007, a runner-up of 2008 polls and again elected MNA in 2013 as an independent candidate who joined the PML-N, the winning party of those elections. This Mahaz or Front also comprises of some well-known political figures of the South Punjab, including the politicians who have also held important offices in past, including Sardar Balakh Sher Mazari, a former caretaker prime minister in 1993, Sardar Nasarullah Dareshak, former finance minister of Punjab, former MNA whose son Husnain Bahadur Dareshak served as Finance Minister between 2002-2007 and other son Ali Raza is also a sitting MPA.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi
A Makhdoom from Multan, the PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi these days is also seen quite vociferously advocating the case of South Punjab deprivations, lack of civic facilities, the economic situation of the province and seems as the likeminded of the Khusro Bakhtyar group.
Among the lists of politicians who are seen as strong advocate for the people of Southern Punjab, name of Shah Mehmood Qureshi seems at the top when it comes to his relationship with power corridors.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi remained a Muslim Leaguer between 1983 to 1993, and not only this, he comes of a very noted and influential family of Multan as when he was an LG member from the district, his father Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi was the Governor of Punjab. Before that, his very close relative Nawab Sadiq Hussain Qureshi served as Punjab Chief Minister until 1977.
In 1985 general elections, Shah Mehmood Qureshi was elected as MPA and other the 1997-1999, Shah Mehmood never remained out of parliament and was even fielded as the candidate for Prime Minister by PPP against Zafarullah Jamali in 2003.
And if his duration as a member of the ruling parties is assessed, he remained with the ruling side constantly for first 13 years of his career, between 1983 to 1993 as Muslim Leaguer, in which he remained MPA in 1985 Assembly, Minister for Planning and Development between 1988-90 in the cabinet of Nawaz Sharif, Minister for Finance and Planning between 1990-1993 in the cabinet of Ghulam Hyder Wyne, then after joining PPP in 1993 he served as Federal Minister. Besides, from 2008 to 2011, he spent three years with the government again and served as the foreign minister in the cabinet of another Makhdoom from the same district, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was the Prime Minister.
In this way, out of the 35 years of his politics, he spent 17 years directly in power and most of the rest as the parliamentarian, excluding the period of 1997-99 and later from 2001 to 2002 when he was District Nazim, Multan.
Between 2006 and 2009, he also served as the head of PPP Punjab and also led his party successfully in 2008 general elections from the province when it won 106 seats.
In all the years, Shah Mehmood remained in Opposition, he was seen as a staunch advocate of Southern Punjab province, whether he was in the parliament or in the election campaigns.
When PPP won the poll in 2008, Shah Mehmood was even dubbed as the future PM but it was Gilani who was nominated for the slot and Shah Mehmood was awarded the ministry of his own choice that was Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
What has been the contribution of Shah Mehmood Qureshi while he was in power corridors is the most striking question that comes to the mind of many when he once again seems raising voice for a separate province comprising districts of Saraeki belt.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi is also one of the few noted politicians in the existing lot who most obediently listened to the speech of Gen Ziaul Haq in Punjab Assembly when no other sitting MPA but one, late Fazal Hussain Rahi of Faisalabad mustered up the courage to challenge the dictator in the PA session and eventually faced torture in the hands of police. As a Provincial Minister for Planning and Development in the cabinet of Nawaz Sharif and as the cabinet member of former CM Ghulam Hyder Wyne between 1990-1993, Shah Mehmood wasn’t seen in any revolt with his leadership for ignoring the Southern belt, though the grievances of the people were there even then, there were issues related to contaminated water, challenges confronted by the health and education sector and above all, the gap between have and have-nots.
In 1993, having joined a new party, PPP which was also a major share holder in Punjab with Makhdoom Altaf as its Senior Minister, no revolt was seen from him with his leadership over the issues related to Southern Punjab, despite the fact neither there was any Secretariat established there to facilitate the people living in 11 districts and three divisions of the Saraeki belt, an issue over which he is criticising the present government. If development is a provincial subject, he served as provincial minister twice but in those days, he wasn’t seen in any revolt with his party leadership for ignoring Southern Punjab and left Nawaz Sharif while the latter was in confrontation with the establishment of that time in 1993.
He lost the 1997 polls but made a comeback in 2001 when he won the District Nazim Multan elections and quit the office in 2002 to contest the general election. He once again won the NA seat and remained in Opposition during which he also led PPP in Punjab from 2006 to 2008.
The PPP formed government in 2008 and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, having won from Multan was made the Foreign Minister of the country in the cabinet of Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, an office he held until 2011 when he was replaced by Hina Rabbani Khar. Relationship between him and PPP leadership severed and he finally bade farewell to People’s Party and joined the PTI. In the 2013 general elections, after winning his seat from Multan, he remained an active Opposition member and now-a-days, he is seen actively participating in public gatherings and wooing the people to vote for a change and supporting the demand of referendum for the creation of new province of Southern Punjab.
Most of the people related to different political parties or pertaining to the region of Southern Punjab hold the view that narrative of politician for demand of a separate province becomes quite weak when they themselves come to power.
However, with no much time left in the upcoming general elections, Shah Mehmood Qureshi is once again all-out for Saraeki belt, an activism, which most of the PTI critics say should have also been seen while he was in power for most of the times.
Insiders in the farmer community of the Southern Punjab also revealed that at the time when PPP won the 2008 polls, Shah Mehmood, who is also the head of Farmer Association of Pakistan (FAP) was also requested by a group of growers to accept Ministry for Agriculture in the deeper interest of his own community as the sector needs utmost attention. However, Qureshi opted for the Foreign Ministry and refused to accept any other Ministry other than this.
The News tried to contact Shah Mehmood Qureshi for comment over his services and contribution to the people of Southern Punjab but he didn’t pick up the phone.
Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar
When it comes to Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, who is now leading the South Punjab Mahaz, his political career has always been associated with power corridors, whenever he is in parliament but he never revolted against the ruling party over the issue of Saraeki province.
From 1997 to 2017, in the 20 years of his political journey, he spent around 15 years of his career in the power corridors and now just less than two months left in the completion of term, Khusro Bakhtyar is leading the movement for Sooba-e-Junoobi Punjab.
Son of Makhdoom Rukn-ud-Din, who remained the PPP MNA in 1988 and the PML-N ticket holder of the 1993 general elections from then NA-148 seat of Rahimyar Khan, Khusro Bakhtyar made his electoral debut in 1997 general elections when he got elected on the PML-N ticket from then PP-236. From February 1997 to October 1999, Khusro Bakhtyar served as Adviser to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, with full protocol equal to a minister that he enjoyed for 32 months, nearly three years.
When the PML-N came under crisis following the post-October 12, 1999 scene, massive exodus of its members started and Khusro was also one of those who left Nawaz League and joined the Kings Party of that time, the PML-Q.
In the 2002 general elections, Khusro Bakhtyar was the candidate of the PML-Q from NA-194 of Rahimyar Khan from where he emerged victorious while bagging 70,116 votes against PPP’s Makhdoom Shahab-ud-Din who got 59,630 votes.
Khusro Bakhtyar in the PML-Q era held the office of State Minister for Foreign Affairs which he continued to hold until 2007. From 2001 to 2007, the years in which the PML-Q was in total control of resources and Khusro was siding with it, he never revolted against Pervez Musharraf or the Chaudhrys in favour of the people of Southern Punjab. He happily accepted the portfolio of State Minister.
In 2008 general elections, Khusro Bakhtyar suffered defeat in the hands of Makhdoom Shahab-ud-Din of PPP and remained out of the power corridors for the next five years.
While PML-Q, the party that made him the minister came in crisis, Khusro left it and ran for the 2013 general elections as independent candidate. Khusro won the election as independent candidate from NA-194 and lost from NA-195 seat in the hands of PPP’s Makhdoom Mustafa Mehmood, son of Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood.
Khusro, along with a group of around three dozen elected MPAs or MNAs joined PML-N. For five years, according to local Muslim Leaguers of his area, Khusro Bakhtyar received development funds for his constituency from Punjab chief minister and while PML-N came into crisis, he did same what he did after October 12, 1999.
During all those five years in which Khusro remained associated with power under the PML-N government, he kept mum over the grievances of the people of Southern Punjab.
He wasn’t seen criticising the Punjab government over the absence of a Burn Unit in Ahmedpur Sharqia, Bahawalpur, and issue that was highlighted after the tragic deaths of over 100 citizens who were burnt alive while collecting fuel from a leaked oil tanker, neither he criticised the PML-N leadership over lack of health facilities in districts like Rajanpur or Muzaffargarh from where patients have to visit Nishtar Hospital, Multan or even hospitals of Lahore to get proper treatment.
He wasn’t also not seen, making the demand of Southern Punjab province while he served as the ruling party MNA the way he is doing now and never mustered up the courage to criticise Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif or Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for ignoring this part of Punjab.
With PML-N under crisis, he is now out of it and contesting the next general elections on the slogan of Southern Punjab province. His brother is also the sitting MPA. The News tried to contact Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar to seek his views and comments over his contribution for the people of Southern Punjab but he didn’t pick up the phone.
Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar
Another noted Makhdoom family from the district of Rahimyar Khan is that of Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Alam Anwar, a many time parliamentarian and federal minister who, with not much time left in the election has left the PML-N and now siding with PTI.
His son, Makhdoom Syed Mubeen is currently the District Vice-Chairman of Rahimyar Khan, the election he won with complete backing of the PML-N. Moreover, his nephew, Mehmood Alam is still the PML-N MNA. Both son and nephew are yet to resign but when it comes to the issue of Southern Punjab province, the stance of this group is akin to that of Sooba Junoobi Punjab Mahaz leadership.
Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Alam Anwar was the IJI MNA in 1988, at a time when Nawaz Sharif was the main leader of this nine-party alliance and Punjab Chief Minister.
By 1990, Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar parted ways with Nawaz, joined PPP and won election as the People’s Democratic Alliance candidate.
In 1993, he contested and won again on PPP ticket and lost to Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood in 1997 from then NA-147 seat.
In 2002 general elections, Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar, having parted ways with PPP contested as independent candidate from then NA-192 seat and won with a big margin. He defeated the PPP and MMA candidates. At the time while the PML-Q was in power, Makhdoom Mubeen, son of Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar also got elected as Tehsil Nazim and the entire group had a complete control over the major part of district.
In 2008, Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar contested as the PML-Q candidate and lost to PPP’s Hamid Saeed Kazmi. While PML-Q was in crisis, the group of Ahmed Alam Anwar once again switched loyalty and joined PML-N. In 2013, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Alam Anwar contested on the PML-N ticket and lost the election to PPP’s Ghulam Rasul Koreeja with a very narrow margin. The winner got 80,499 votes and Ahmed Alam Anwar remained at second number with 79,208 votes. Syed Masood Alam, the nephew of Ahmad Alam Anwar won the Provincial Assembly seat.
However, during this period, this group also remained in quite cordial relationship with the ruling party and Makhdoom Mubeen, son of Ahmed Alam Anwar also won government’s support for the slot of district chairman which he also won.
Now with PML-N under crisis, Makhdoom Ahmad Alam is in a handshake with PTI whereas his son Makhdoom Mubeen and nephew Syed Masood Alam are yet to resign as district chairman and MPA.
Talking to The News, Makhdoom Mubeen stated that he would tender resignation in coming days and the delay was only because his resignation could disturb the district’s local government system. He stated that demand of Southern Punjab province was justified and said it was true that the politicians should plead this case while remaining in power.
Like other Makhdooms of Southern Punjab who are chanting the slogans of Southern Punjab as a separate province, this group is also doing the same but history of this group also shows that it has also remained associated with power corridors, almost ever and whether it revolted against the ruling side over this issue is still a question.
Makhdoomzada Syed Basit Sultan Bokhari
Makhdoomzada Syed Basit Sultan Bokhari, who is scion of the influential Bokhari family of Muzaffargarh is also a key advocate of Southern Punjab province now, an issue over which he never revolted against the ruling party with which he was siding.
With next general elections nearing, Basit seems in a revolt with PML-N. If the total span of Syed Basit Sultan Bokhari as a politician is assessed, he spent almost all the 20 years of his political career with the ruling party from 1997 to 2017.
He was elected MPA on the PML-N ticket and served as MPA from 1997 t0 1999, PML-Q MNA between 2002-2007, having lost NA seat to PPP candidate Moazzam Jatoi in 2008 general elections, Basit was elected as MPA in by-election and joined the PML-N which had come to power in Punjab.
He served as MPA until 2013 and contested the 2013 general elections on the PML-N ticket which he won.
Basit’s brother, Makhdoomzada Syed Harun Sultan is still the cabinet member of Shahbaz Sharif and also remained a cabinet member of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi between 2002-2007. From 1997 to 1999, Bokharis stood with PML-N. In the period of crisis, they left the party and remained associated with PML-Q until 2008.
Before that, Syed Abdullah Shah Bokhari, the father of Basit and Harun has served MPA on PPP and NDA tickets in 1988 and 1993 respectively.
Basit Sultan was contacted by The News but he didn’t pick up the phone.