PML-N activist Zubair Gull sidelined in party's UK chapter shakeup

LONDON: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership has sidelined a party activist in the UK organisational shakeup of the party, approved and ordered by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Zubair Gull, who previously renounced his British nationality to do politics in Pakistan, acted as Nawaz-led party's UK leader for nearly 20 years and stood by the party through thick and thin, but now he has been sidelined in the new party organisation.

Also, he has not been adjusted in Pakistan whereas several people who worked with the Sharifs in London have been adjusted in various capacities in Punjab and the federal capital.

In the new UK setup announced by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also oversees PML-N's overseas matters, businessman Ashan Dar has been made the PLM-N UK president.

Rashid Hashmi has been appointed secretary general and Dr Ashraf Chohan has been made the party's chairman.

Gull has been given the post of co-ordinator UK which is only a ceremonial role. Dar and Chohan are successful businessmen in the UK.

Gull's main issue is that he has so far failed to get any post in Pakistan, as was his expectation over the role he played for over two decades for the Sharifs.

He has made several trips to Pakistan and was able to meet Nawaz around two weeks ago after a lot of struggles but he has not been given any portfolio in any of the governments in Punjab or Centre.

Last week, Dar appointed Manchester-based solicitor Amjad Malik as Vice Chairman of the Overseas Punjab Commission (OPC).

When Nawaz and Shehbaz came to the UK in 2007 from Saudi Arabia after ending their exile, Gull and his brother Ijaz Gull stood by the Sharifs through thick and thin but in the new setup both have been sidelined.

When Nawaz was in the UK before ending his second exile and returning to Pakistan exactly a year ago, the Gull brothers stood guard with him for nearly three years, on an almost daily basis.

They took battering from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters too and Ijaz came close to dying when he was assaulted outside Hassan Nawaz Sharif's office during a brawl and fell unconscious on the road after taking a hit.

Gull visited Pakistan on at least five occasions in the last one year but he was able to meet the three-time premier only twice.

This is a far cry from those times when Nawaz was in London for two periods of exile and Gull used to be with him.

The new UK President Dar rose to the ranks after providing professional security services to Nawaz during his last stay of self-exile in London.

Dar, who runs a successful security business, ensured that the elder Sharif was protected around the clock and solely took responsibility for it.

His brother Umar Farooq Dar won from Gujranwala in the February 8 nationwide elections for the Punjab Assembly on the PML-N's ticket.

Gull was given a ticket to become a senator in 2018 and he also renounced his British nationality but as fate would have it, he fell victim to the party's infighting and a rich person from Punjab became the party's senator in his place.

After Imran Khan came to power, Gull fled from Pakistan and remained stranded in Dubai for around two years as he was unable to enter the UK while he fought case in UK courts to get back to the country to be with his family.

A PML-N spokesperson said Gull's services were much appreciated by the party but the party's UK chapter needed injection of fresh blood.

The spokesman added: "Ahsan Dar is a dynamic person who has the ability to take the party forward through re-organisation. Gull and Dar are working together. Gull was unable to meet Nawaz Sharif because Mr Sharif was spending time in Murree."