Gulf widens between Anwar Saifullah, PPP leadership

PESHAWAR: Due to his reservations over various decisions and internal wrangling in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the gulf between Anwar Saifullah Khan and the party’s provincial and central leadership has widened.

A reliable source told The News that Anwar Saifullah, the son of late Begum Kulsoom Saifullah Khan who served as federal minister and remained PPP provincial president, may decide his future line of action in the near future.

Pleading anonymity, the source said that Anwar Saifullah had conveyed his reservations to PPP top leadership including Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, but he was disappointed when no action was taken to rectify the situation.

The source said that Anwar Saifullah had already held a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders through Umar Ayub Khan, who happened to be his relative. The source said he may decide to join the PTI.

The source said that Anwar Saifullah, who had serious reservations over the appointment and working of the provincial office-bearers, was further annoyed when one of the provincial leaders informed him on phone about the recent visit of Bilawal Bhutto to Bannu just one day before the trip.

“Though he attended Bilawal’s public meeting in Bannu, he neither called his supporters to the meeting nor invited Bilawal to his residence there for a cup of tea. The PPP meeting in Bannu was a complete failure and now the provincial leaders are accusing each other of misappropriating Rs50 million, which they received from the central leadership for arrangements of the meeting,” the source claimed. He added that the workers would demand probe as to why the party chairman was invited to such a disorganised meeting.

Anwar Saifullah was not available for comment but his spokesman Malik Riaz Khan said there might be some grievances but these could be resolved at the party level.

He said Anwar Saifullah would hold a meeting with Asif Ali Zardari within a few days and expressed the hope all problems would be resolved.

He recalled that Asif Zardari had already assigned some important responsibilities to Anwar Saifullah regarding allotment of party tickets to candidates for the next general election and future chief minister of the province.

The source said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was also in contact with Anwar Saifullah but his negotiations were almost finalized with the PTI and Salim Saifullah Khan, the brother of Anwar Saifullah, may announce joining the PTI in at joint press conference with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak at the Chief Minister House on Sunday at 4pm.

Earlier, there were reports that Salim Saifullah may initially form an alliance with the PTI and later join it formally.

It is no secret that contacts existed between the Saifullahs and the chief minister and other PTI leaders. The Saifullahs, who lost election on all assembly seats in their native Lakki Marwat in 2013, are desperate to join a strong political party and make a comeback. Traditionally, they have remained associated with ruling parties.