PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party has criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan for what it calls his failure to serve the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and forcing his party ministers to stay in Islamabad to topple the government of Nawaz Sharif.

In statement issued here on Sunday, PPP provincial president Khanzada Khan said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa didn’t vote for PTI to topple the PML-N government rather they wanted the rulers to resolve their problems and minimise their miseries.

He said that the defeat of PTI candidate by a PPP nominee in the elections in Chitral despite use of official machinery was a proof of Imran’s declining popularity.

He should serve the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa instead of challenging political parties otherwise PTI candidates would lose their sureties in the next general elections, he added.

PPP says popularity of Imran Khan is declining

“We can gather record number of people anywhere in the country to show our strength if PPP leadership gives a call in this regard,” Mr Khan claimed. He asked PTI to avoid sit-ins and focus on development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PPP leader said that PTI members had also come into power through unfair means as they got highest votes, which had no precedent in the past. He said that PTI candidates were so unpopular that very few people knew them even in their own electoral constituencies.

Mr Khan said that PTI had no capacity to serve people. It could be judged easily from its position in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where people were disappointed.

The PPP leader said that it was inappropriate for ministers and chief minister to observe sit-in or participate in ‘dance’ in Islamabad. They were duty bound to return to their constituencies, serve the people and resolve the problems of people, particularly the victims of rainstorm, he added.

Appreciating PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for his interest to resolve the political crisis, he said that the entire nation had attached expectations with PPP leadership to play role in resolution of core issues.

The PPP leaders, Mr Khan claimed, rendered matchless sacrifices for strengthening democracy in the country. They would continue their efforts in consultation with other political parties in the prevailing situation to save the system from derailing.

Meanwhile, Naseeb Chand was appointed president of the minority wing of PPP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to a notification, Abrar Jadoon was appointed president of PPP in Abbottabad district, Syed Sibth Ahmed general secretary, Waseem Jadoon senior vice president, Sarfraz Jadoon secretary information and Gulzar Abbasi was nominated member of the party’s provincial council.

Similarly, Zulfiqar Qureshi was nominated PPP president in Haripur, Malik Rabnawaz general secretary, Aurangzeb Mughal senior vice president and Tahir Qureshi was appointed member of PPP provincial council.

In Peshawar, Malik Tamash Khan was nominated district president, Malik Ghaznfar Ali general secretary, Amirzeb senior vice president, Gahuar Ali Khan secretary information, Haji Nasir Khan finance secretary, Haji Almas Khan, Haji Didar Gul, Malik Shafqat and Aashiq Hussain vice presidents, Jahanzeb deputy general secretary, Noor Mohammad of Mattani general secretary-II, Iqbal Nazim additional general secretary, Khalid Ahmed joint secretary, Tahir Daudzai deputy information secretary, Noor Mohammad Khan of Badhber coordination secretary, Faiz Mohammad record and event secretary and Shabir Khalil was appointed office secretary of PPP.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2014