Neither ‘masseur’ nor ‘polisher’: Zaeem

LAHORE: PML-N senior leader Zaeem Qadri, who also served as Punjab Auqaf and religious affairs minister, has decided to contest the general elections an independent candidate from NA-133, saying he is neither a “masseur” nor a “polisher”.

“I am not a servant of Hamza Shehbaz and I refuse to polish his boots,” he said at a highly-charged press conference held in the Township area. Zaeem bashed the younger Sharif and his son for nurturing a culture of nepotism and flattery. “Lahore is not your or your father’s private property Hamza Shahbaz!” he remarked.

“The PML-N is in my blood, from the Tehreek-e-Nizam-e-Mustafa, Tehreek-e-Bahali-e-Jamhooriyat to the martial laws of Ayub, Yahya, Ziaul Haq and Musharraf. I am Pakistan Muslim League! You’re not Hamza!” he added.

He said despite standing firm during the most difficult times and being imprisoned five times, he was repeatedly undermined by the party leadership. He added that he was the covering candidate for Nawaz Sharif and Kulsoom Nawaz but someone else replaced him at the last moment.

“It had only been eight days after suffering in jail for the party that Nawaz called me and said I should leave the position of [PML-N] Punjab secretary general because the Punjab President (Shahbaz) didn’t like the sight of my face,” he said.

“For the past 10 years, those, who were made key ministers, didn't even bother to defend Nawaz at any platform and went underground at a time when the party and its leaders were in a hot water, however these people were experts the art of toadying,” he claimed.

“I shall never join the masseurs and the servants of Hamza! I am a servant of the people, I’ve given blood, sweat and money to the party, I can sacrifice my life but not my integrity”, said Zaeem in his signature animated fashion.

“I was asked in the interview to list down my sacrifices for the party. Didn’t they know? They asked me if I had Rs 100 million to spend on election, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to qualify. What is the basis of all these criteria,” questioned Zaeem.

Responding to a question as to why all this resentment after being denied the ticket, he said it wasn’t just about ticket. “It is just one expression of the party’s standards that respects no merit. A systemic marginalization of the true workers of the party is the real issue,” he added.

Zaeem told the reporters that his wife, who had been listed for the reserved seats, had also rejected the nomination because she wouldn’t want to be in the league of the servants anymore. “I will show what politics is and how it is done Hamza. My election now is against you!” he challenged.

Zaeem said he would contest election from NA-133, while Imran Aleem Shah and Asif Raza Beg would be candidates from PP-166 and PP-167 respectively.

He narrated the history of his grandfather and elder paternal uncle as well as the sacrifices by his family and said he or anyone in his entire family had never ever switched parties and “this is the gratitude they have got?” He added that it would an election and a war at the same time.

On the other hand, Aleem Khan, who is the PTI’s Central Punjab chapter president, offered Zaeem to join the party. Talking to media, Aleem said the Zaeem Qadri episode was the first drop of rain and it had become obvious that PML-N had not shown respect to its stalwarts. He also predicted more split in the PML-N ranks in future.