PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party has been facing internal rifts for the past many years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with every group trying to get their own nominees appointed as office-bearers at different levels, but they never revolted against any of the sitting provincial president in past.

It is for the first time that the likeminded group comprising the annoyed PPP activists has announced parallel organisational units in two districts, including Peshawar and Nowshera, while office-bearers in rest of the districts are likely to be announced soon.

Insiders said that for the time being the provincial level office-bearers had not been named, but the process was in progress and in case the parallel organisational unit was announced at the provincial level the central leadership would also be unable to overcome the crisis.

The decision to announce parallel organisational units was taken in a convention of the annoyed workers held at the University Town, Peshawar, on Sept 6, 2014 which was attended by representatives of the disgruntled workers from 22 districts of the province who shared views about the negligence of party leadership to address their concerns.

PPP provincial president Khanzada Khan had replaced Anwar Saifullah Khan in November 2013 and after assuming the charge he had dissolved all the organisations so that new office-bearers could be named on the basis of membership and in accordance with the workers’ will through intra-party elections.

The workers had welcomed dissolution of the organisations in the hope that the problems would be resolved. However, the central leadership declined to permit the provincial chapter of PPP to hold intra-party elections as it would set precedence for rest of the provinces and even for the central leaders.

Following directives of the central leadership Mr Khanzada had reappointed some of the former office-bearers on the same seats which infuriated many of the senior people who launched a campaign for intra-party elections.

The meetings in this regard were attended and addressed by former KP governor Barrister Masood Kausar, former federal ministers Mian Muzaffar Shah and Lal Mohammad Khan, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker Abdul Akbar Khan, former MNA Tariq Khattak, and other leaders like Syed Ayub Shah, Khwaja Yawar Naseer, Tahir Abbas, Saeed Ahmed Khan, Israr Khan Nahqi, etc.

During consecutive meetings they realised that the central leadership was not ready to hold intra-party elections and decided to set up parallel organizational units. In Peshawar, the annoyed workers nominated Israr Khan Nahqai as district president and Haji Deedar Gul Sorizai general secretary, while in Nowshera Tariq Khattak was appointed district president and Mian Sajid Ali Shah general secretary. Other office-bearers have also been named in the districts.

Keeping in view the prevailing situation, PPP seems to be in grave crisis in KP and if the leadership failed to intervene the situation may worsen as the annoyed group has announced a schedule for holding workers’ conventions in different districts to announce more parallel organisations and hold the old leaders accountable.

The main demands of the workers include implementation of the party’s manifesto, democratic system and starting membership drive to accommodate new faces on key slots to revive the Bhutto’s slogan of ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’ and focus on solution of people’s problems.

“We are against corruption and exploitation and will not allow few people to exploit the workers,” a senior leader said and added that the annoyed workers wanted a decision by the leadership to hold intra-party elections.

When contacted for his comments, PPP provincial President Khanzada Khan said that it was a minor issue and he would control it. “Some of our old colleagues have complaints which will be redressed soon,” he said.

“I am also in favour of intra-party elections to appoint the office-bearers in accordance with the wishes of workers, but the central leadership does not allow us to do so as it is against the party’s customs,” Mr Khan said. He said that intra-party elections could not be held in one province and thus the demand was illogical because workers in rest of the provinces would also raise the demand.

He said that the workers should abide by the decisions taken by the central leadership and work hard to strengthen the party in their respective areas.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2014

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