Nehal Hashmi. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The PML-N’s decision to appoint Nehal Hashmi as governor of Sindh reflects a conciliatory approach towards its ally, the PPPP, a move that well-placed party leaders say may keep the peace but is unlikely to give the party any political benefits in the province.
Party insiders say the move signals a cautious political strategy in Sindh, where the PML-N has historically struggled to build a strong organizational base and must carefully navigate its relationship with the PPP.
Speaking to The Express PAkGazette, a PML-N leader said that it was indeed good news for party workers to see a loyalist being rewarded in this way by the leadership.
He said Nehal Hashmi even supported the PML-N when the party disowned him and even belittled him a little. “He is a true ideological worker of the PML-N. However, his appointment is a compromise at best.”
The leader added that party figures in Sindh might have preferred a more aggressive political player for the job.
According to the leader, not naming PML-N Sindh president Bashir Memon was understandable given his long-standing differences with President Asif Ali Zardari, although he acknowledged that the party needed someone with Memon’s assertive style.
He said not naming PML-N Sindh president Bashir Memon made sense, given his long-standing issues with President Asif Ali Zardari. However, the party needed someone like him.
The leader further argued that the PML-N still lacked a strong organizational structure in Sindh.
He said that the PML-N does not have any real party structure in Sindh, adding that those who are putting their blood and sweat wanted the party to follow an aggressive line against the PPP in Sindh to create some space for themselves.
However, he noted that the party usually adopted a confrontational tone against the Sindh government only when tensions with the PPP escalated in Punjab.
“He said that the appointment of Nehal Hashmi will only promote such a policy of appeasement. He said that Nehal will also only take on the Sindh government when and where necessary.”
He added that a tacit understanding between the two parties seemed aimed at avoiding open confrontation and preventing other political actors from benefiting from the discord.
He said this unspoken policy between the two of peacefully co-existing is being monitored to ensure that no third party takes advantage of any discord.
Another source said he had long believed that Irfan Memon would be the party’s choice for the post of Sindh governor.
The source noted that Irfan Memon’s forceful stance against the PPP government in Sindh resonated strongly with voters in interior Sindh and could have made him a strong candidate.
However, the source suggested that the PML-N could have mirrored the PPP’s political approach in Punjab. Since the PPP appointed a toothless governor in Punjab, the PML-N could have reciprocated by appointing a docile governor in Sindh, he added.
Former PML-N appointed Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair also commented on the development while speaking to The Express PAkGazette. He said Nehal was a good choice as far as PML-N was concerned. However, an election, he said, will not benefit the party.
Zubair said Bashir Memon’s perceived anti-Zardari stance may have worked against him. He also noted an informal political tradition related to ethnic balance in the province’s high offices.
He said there is also this unspoken rule that if CM is from rural Sindh, then the governor must be of Mohajir descent. “And in this case, CM is of Sindhi origin, and if Memon was selected, he too had the same inclination, which is why someone of Mohajir descent was chosen.”
