PESHAWAR: The level of disorganization in Pakistan Peoples Party can be judged from the fact that its provincial leadership could not organise even a single meeting on July 5 to continue its traditions and condemn late dictator Gen Ziaul Haq, who had dismissed the elected government of party’s founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and imposed martial law in the country on this day.

In past, the PPP workers would take out rallies and hold protest meetings on July 5 to condemn martial law of Gen Zia and remember the sacrifices rendered by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for strengthening of democracy in the country, but this year no event was organised in Peshawar.

This correspondent contacted several senior people of the party on phone and most of them said that workers were unhappy and not ready to hold rallies and meetings.

They said that the provincial leadership had also not given them instructions to observe the black day which meant that it was not announced officially.

No function held in Peshawar to condemn Zia’s martial law, praise ZAB’s sacrifice

Some of them revealed that the party was facing the worst kind of internal crisis and they were not ready to use their energies any longer for a party which had no sincere leadership.

“Several of the activists in the province have violated the party discipline by contesting as independent candidates and even against the party candidates in the recent local government elections. Some have joined other parties and many others will part ways with PPP soon,” said a senior party activist.

He said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should visit parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, redress grievances of the workers, and appoint energetic people to key party offices to activate the disgruntled ideological workers.

The source said that a number of senior leaders with their separate groups were ready to join other parties, but they were waiting and assessing the overall situation to take decisions at right time.

Referring to the cracks in the party’s Punjab chapter, the source said that similar situation was expected in Peshawar and Mardan if the central leadership did not pay immediate attention to restoration of workers’ confidence.

He criticised PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari for damaging the party during its five-year government, saying that now PPP was neither in power nor opposition to raise voice for rights of poor.

The source said that the leadership was not interested to reorganise the party in other provinces and it had now become a party of interior Sindh because the urban parts of the province like Karachi and Hyderabad were in the grip of Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Former provincial secretary information Syed Ayub Shah said that it was duty of the leadership to organise the party and instruct the workers to observe the days which were important in the country’s history.

He condemned the martial law of late Gen Zia for overthrowing an elected government, trampling the Constitution and putting the country on path to destruction and uncertainty.

He said that PPP was the only national level party which rendered sacrifices for strengthening of democratic institutions where its workers used to be active and outspoken, but currently the leadership had disowned it.

“We have always raised voice for reorganisation of the party and intra-party elections, but the leadership is reluctant to accept our demands for unknown reasons,” he complained.

Peshawar city district president Zulfiqar Afghani also blamed the provincial leadership for failure to announce black day events, saying that he himself had been sent to jail during Zia’s martial law.

He said that it was PPP that kept alive democracy in the country.

He said that it was time the PPP leadership should reorganise the party otherwise the leaders will repent their mistakes in future.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2015

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