PESHAWAR: Many in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz fear the lack of interest on part of the central leadership could cost the party dearly.

There is a high likelihood of the disgruntled party activists beginning a formal protest in the province soon to jolt the top leadership out of the indifference.

In the recent past, many senior PML-N leaders joined rival parties, while there are reports of many more considering following suit.

The disgruntled activists feel Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is no more on priority list of the party due to the thrashing defeat in the last general elections.

Some party leaders are upset at the cold response of top central leaders to the proposal of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in the province.

They also complain of the indifference of the PML-N’s federal ministers towards their problems and party affairs.

According to PML-N activists in Peshawar division, the central leadership has totally ignored them and therefore, they have to quit the party or begin protest.

Many senior activists pleading anonymity told Dawn that they had contributed a lot to the strengthening of the party in their respective districts but the central leadership had abandoned them.

“We have time and again tried to get time from the central leadership to apprise them of the poor party affairs and our problems, but to no avail. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited parts of the province but even then, he did not meet workers to redress their grievances,” an activist said.

During the last few weeks, many leaders quit PML-N and joined rival parties.

Among them is Farid Toofan, who had served the party for many years and managed to bring many people into its fold but had to part ways with it to join the newly-formed Awami National Party-Wali founded by Abdul Wali Khan’s widow, Begum Nasim Wali Khan.

Similarly, Mansoor Kamal Marwat, son of late Anwar Kamal Marwat, also joined PTI despite the fact that he had a long association with PML-N.

Besides, a woman leader of PML-N Farzana Zain also joined PTI and vowed to work for the welfare of the people under the leadership of Imran Khan.

She said it was time that all political parties should focus on development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to address the increasing problems of local residents.

Talking to Dawn, Ms Farzana said the PML-N central leadership had totally ignored Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and focused on Punjab due to its vote bank.

Meanwhile, PML-N Peshawar Division President Abdul Sattar Khalil told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club the other day demanded of the central leadership to replace Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Engineer Shaukatullah with central General Secretary of the party Iqbal Zafar Jhagra.

He said the present governor belonged to Pakistan People’s Party and the PML-N workers even couldn’t think to enter the Governor’s House in his presence.

“Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has rendered numerous sacrifices to strengthen the party at a time when Nawaz Sharif was in exile and therefore, he deserves to become the governor. We demand of the central leadership to meet our demands within two weeks otherwise workers will begin protest across the province,” he said.

He was also accompanied by PML-N Peshawar district General Secretary Haji Sifatullah and Youth Wing President Raham Dil Nawaz.

PML-N Peshawar District President Haji Noor Mohammad Khan said if Jhagra was appointed as the governor, workers would heave a sigh of relief otherwise they were disappointed.

When contacted, PML-N provincial Vice President Waqif Khan said party workers were fully united and had no complaints against the central leadership as he (the prime minister) was preoccupied due to law and order issues and could not meet all workers.He said the PML-N activists wanted to have their own governor in the province so that they could get their problems resolved at local level.

Mr Waqif said the PML-N had no plan to topple the provincial Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led government in the province.

He said his was a democratic party in which activists had a right to raise voice for rights.