MULTAN City News

PPP south Punjab divided over Makhdoom’s appointment
Workers hold him responsible for party defeat in general polls
From Nadeem Shah
MULTAN: PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has appointed former Punjab governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood as new PPP south Punjab president after party stalwart Makhdoom Shahabuddin resigned from the office a couple of days ago.
Talking to The News on phone, Makhdoom Shahabuddin said: “My physician has asked me to stay in bed for at least six months due to recently-operated spinal cord. I am thankful to party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for accepting my resignation. I will continue guiding and helping the newly-nominated PPP south Punjab president.” In his first press conference a couple of days ago, Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood said: “I am determined to restore PPP strength and the party would make a clean sweep in the next general elections.”
PPP insiders are of the view that Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood’s wrong decisions were responsible for PPP defeat in Punjab in the last general elections. “Makhdoom Ahmed accepted responsibility of the PPP defeat and declared that he would stay away from politics,” they disclosed. “His cousin and former premier Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani also resigned from the office of senior vice-chairmanship. Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani allotted four tickets to his family, including his three sons and younger brother, but all failed to secure a single seat despite uplift of Multan.” They claimed that Makhdoom Ahmed had been assigned the task of reorganising and reactivating party chapters and cadres at grassroots level in the remote region of southern Punjab. They were confident that the new Makhdoom would have to achieve his targets.
Workers observed that Makhdoom Ahmed’s nomination would strengthen the Gilani’s and elite classes in the party. “Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood is a cousin of former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and nephew of Pir Pagara. He belongs to feudal Makhdooms of Rahimyar Khan, while the family has blood relation with Pirs and politically influential feudal elite of Sindh.” They say the Makhdoom family does not represent the working class. They said that Makhdoom Ahmed’s nomination would strengthen the Gilani dynasty in the PPP. They said that Makhdoom Ahmed was a staunch supporter of the Bahawalpur province, but now he had changed his stance and demanded creation of south Punjab province in his first press conference.
The ECP statistics reveal that Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood contested from NA-194 on a PML-F ticket and lost to PPP’s Makhdoom Shahabuddin by 17,268 votes in 2008. He also contested from NA-192 in 2008 on a PML-F ticket and was defeated by PPP’s Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi. He allowed his brother-in-law Jehangir Khan Tareen to contest on a PML-Q ticket from NA-195 and he won the slot. Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood again contested from PP-287 on a PML-Q ticket against the PPP candidate Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood. Former ameer of Bahawalpur State had awarded the title of ‘Makhdoomul Mulk’ to his grandfather Syed Ghulam Miran Shah in recognition of his services for the state. He was also grandfather of Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Makhdoom Ahmed’s father Makhdoomzada Syed Hassan Mehmood was Bahawalpur State’s Chief Minister and opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly till his death in 1986. Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood is brother-in-law of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf secretary general Jehangir Khan Tareen. He is very close to Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif for being a staunch leaguer. His son Makhdoom Mustafa Mehmood first time contested on a PPP ticket from NA-194 and won the slot by huge margin in 2013. His two sons Makhdoom Mustafa Mehmood and Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood won the PP-292 and PP-295 seats on PPP tickets in the last general elections. One of his sons Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood lost on PPP ticket from NA-197 by 13,392 votes. His two sons joined the PPP when former president Asif Ali Zardari appointed Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood as Punjab governor in 2012.

Blockage of salaries for two years
PTDC employees stage demo in Multan
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: Over 400 employees of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) on Monday staged a demonstration against the blockage of their salaries for the last two years after the passage of the 18th amendment.
The employees led by PTDC Employees Union divisional coordinator Hasnain Bukhari gathered at Chowk Nawan Shehr and chanted slogans against the government. They said that the federal government had notified and devolved the department to Punjab, which refused to release their salaries. They said that their families were facing starvation and hunger besides expulsion from rented houses. They said that their children had been expelled from schools and colleges due to non-payment of fee and their future was bleak. Speaking on the occasion, Hasnain Bukhari said that a board of directors headed by Federal Minister for Information Pervaiz Rasheed was looking into the matter. They said that the government was earning millions of rupees from hotels, resorts and bus service across the country, but they were not being paid salaries at different places, including Multan. They appealed to Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif to help resolve the problem and order immediate release of their salaries.

Rs 80m fraud detected in private bank
From Our Correspondent
MULTAN: The audit teams of State Bank of Pakistan Multan Branch have detected a fraud of Rs 80 million in a private bank situated in Nawan Shehr.
After the fraud detection, Ali Suleman Pasha, the bank manager, pretended heart attack and called Rescue 1122 for medical help. He was taken to Cardiology Institute from where he fled. Now an FIA team is searching him. An FIA official revealed that a lady account holder had submitted her cheque to draw the amount, but the cashier informed her that there was no amount in her account. He said that other account holders also contacted the bank branch with the receipts issued by the bank and found no money in their accounts. He said that the bank manager had opened fictitious deposit accounts and paying 12 per cent interest per annum to account holders.
He said that the bank record had been sealed and a team from headquarters was arriving to settle the accounts of the clients. He added that the bank manager was still at large and they were conducting raids to arrest him. He said that the immigration staff had been directed to keep an eye on the international flights because he might flee abroad.