LAHORE, April 8: The ruling PML has failed to achieve the targets of its enrolment drive for various districts of the Punjab, forcing the leadership to extend the campaign for a month.

The membership drive was launched on Feb 4 and three million people were to be inducted by March 31. However, only 1.36 million (less than 50 per cent of the target), were made members till April 7.

Punjab has 34 districts and the party has estimated their population at 84.56 million. No district has been able to meet the target and performance of some of them has been simply disappointing.

The party has now set up monitoring committees for every district.

All relevant office-bearers and legislators have been directed to give top priority to the membership drive and ensure that the targets for each district are achieved.

A communication sent to them says completion of the enrolment drive and re-organization at the grassroots level are important for the selection of party candidates for the upcoming local elections.

Sources say the performance of Attock, Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Multan, Lodhran, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Pak Pattan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan has been much below expectations.

PARTY VERSION: Punjab PML Information Secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha told Dawn that it was incorrect that the party had failed to achieve the enrolment targets. “In fact”, he said, “we are ahead of targets.”

He expressed his satisfaction over the pace of the campaign, and said he was confident that it would be completed before the announcement of the schedule of the local elections.

Local elections are expected to be held during the next few months.