Daily Times

KARACHI: Following a ‘fruitful’ meeting with Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Zardari on Friday, Sarwari Jamaat chief Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman has decided not to end Jamaat’s 51-year-old affiliation with Peoples Party.

PPP leadership has agreed to adjust as many as 8 Sarwari Jamaat’s sympathiser candidates by allotting party tickets for July 25 general elections, Daily Times learnt the inside story of the meeting.

Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman on Friday called on Asif Zardari at Karachi’s Bilawal House and had one-to-one meeting.

“The meeting remained fruitful. During the meeting, Makhdoom Jamil had sought 15 tickets for National and Sindh Assembly for sympathisers of Sarwari Jammat. Negotiations were successful after PPP leadership assured Makhdoom to accommodate Jamaat’s sympathisers on priority basis. PPP leadership also agreed to allot eight party tickets for National and Sindh Assembly to Sarwari Jamaat’s sympathiser candidates for upcoming general elections,” a party insider told Daily Times under condition of anonymity.

According to sources, PPP leadership also agreed to take Makhdoom’s family onboard while allotting party’s tickets for Matiari district – the home district of Makhdooms.

The Makhdoom family, which is supported by its Sarwari Jamaat, bagged one National Assembly and three Sindh Assembly seats in the last general elections.

The important meeting was convened at a time when Makhdoom Jamil, who has remained disgruntled with PPP in recent past, has started working on options to field candidates against his party in July 25 general elections. The family was said to have developed differences with PPP over number of issues but now those were resolved to major extent during Friday meeting.

Makhdoom Jamil held Sindh’s minister for revenue during outgoing cabinet, but had little or no power and authority. He also reportedly complained to the party leadership several times but to no avail.

Jamiluz Zaman is sajjadah nasheen (caretaker) of the Ghousul Haq Makhdoom Sarwar Nooh shrine, better known as the ‘Sarwari Jamaat.

Makhdoom of Hala, recently also held meetings with leadership of Sindh’s two other spiritual following parties including Pagara-led Hurr Jamaat and Ghousia Jamaat who is led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi to form electoral alliance against PPP.

During meetings, three parties also discussed various possible options to support candidates of each other in Matiari, Sanghar, Tharparkar, Umerkot and Khairpur districts of Sindh where spiritual followers of these parties are in sizeable position.

According to sources, Makhdoom Jamil had also informally asked his followers to remain ‘standby’ and gear up for polls against the PPP in case of electoral alliance with Hurr Jamaat and Ghousia Jamaat.

In this regard, Makhdoom Jamilu had convened a meeting of Jamaat’s elders on Friday at Makhdoom House, Hala to finalise their strategy for July 25 general elections. However according to Jamaat’s sources the meeting was postponed later on.

Meanwhile, following fresh efforts of senior leadership of PPP, Makhdooms of Hala changed their mind and decided not to end their 51-years long affiliation with party.