PESHAWAR: Most mainstream political parties claim to be the largest and the most democratic in the country but ironically, they don’t hold impartial intra-party elections.

The use of money, personal relationship, biradari and business links is rampant in political parties to get close to top leaders.

The complaints of favouritism and nepotism in the appointment of office-bearers, ministers and advisers are very common and therefore, workers in some parties have begun campaign for intra-party elections to appoint the right people on the right posts.

Noted among such parties are Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Though leaders of these parties often talk about democracy, right to vote and freedom of expression, they have failed to do something tangible for it.

Of these parties, the PTI is the newest. It held intra-party elections a few years ago but many of its activists complained about irregularities in the exercise, especially the violation of discipline. There’re many complaints about the use of money and influence by some new entrants and therefore, the PTI faces rifts at different levels. Most of the party activists consider it as a movement against injustices and corruption with the hope that it will uphold merit, law and discipline.

PTI chief Imran Khan has always raised the slogan of merit, impartiality and justice but failed to give the due importance to senior leaders, especially those who remained loyal to him during the early days of party. Imran preferred many new people to the seniors especially women on the party’s key seats and thus causing unrest among zealous activists.

The same is the case with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, which has almost stopped re-organisation process in the province with influential people occupying the party’s main offices.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the party is fast losing its popularity. Though it had got almost overall second position in the last general elections after PTI as for votes but could not maintain its vote bank.

The results of recently held local government elections are a live example of its declining popularity. The people in the province had also attached many expectations to the PML-N that it would launch several mega development schemes to help reduce unemployment and poverty, which could boost local economy, but to no avail. The irresponsible attitude of its top leadership also offended the PML-N office bearers in the province who launched the Party Bachao Tehreek (save the party movement).

The intra-party elections in PML-N are long overdue but the leadership has not announced schedule for them and thus, creating unrest among its activists. It is facing internal differences wherein a strong group of annoyed workers led by provincial level office-bearers has also emerged to demand re-organisation through democratic process not influenced by bigwigs.

The Pakistan People’s Party is perhaps the only party, which has really deep roots in the people otherwise it would have never sustained the challenges during different eras. Despite the challenges created by the hanging of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the killing of Benazir Bhutto and her brothers, the PPP’s own people didn’t do justice to the party.

Senior people say the party’s objective was to support the downtrodden, poverty-stricken farmers, haris, labourers and members of low-income groups, and to strengthen democracy but its leaders have long negated all that.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the party has been facing serious differences as several groups have emerged in different districts. The workers’ only demand is the intra-party elections and restoration of democratic norms and democratic culture but no one is there to listen to them.

A senior PPP leader told Dawn that Asif Zardari had made his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the party’s chairman but avoided to empower him for bringing any change in the party.

Mr Zardari still wields the entire powers to reshuffle office-bearers, appoint anyone on any seat and announce policies on his own without consulting senior people.

He said the reports about announcement of intra-party elections and the formation of committees for it were just to pacify annoyed workers as no practical step was expected to be taken in this regard because such decisions could not be applied to other parts of the country, especially in Sindh.

Commenting on the prevailing situation, annoyed PPP activist Syed Ayub Shah said his party was still the largest one in the province but the internal differences had caused it irreparable loss. He insisted the entire responsibility of the situation rested with the party’s top leadership that could not maintain democratic culture.

“Every party could get strength if workers’ logical opinion is honoured and considered for decisions. Unilateral decisions rarely succeed,” he said.

PTI woman leader Farzana Zain said her support for Imran Khan was not for personal interests and instead that was for joining his struggle for the support of the poor and needy people and orphans, and for the provision of justice to them.

“We mobilised women in backward areas localities of KP where the convening of women’s meetings are considered to be revolt against local Pakhtun traditions. However, we succeeded in conveying the message of the party chief but now, we’re unable to have interaction with him,” she complained.

The PTI woman leader also pointed out the misuse of powers, money and influence by some influential people to get key seats in the party or help others to grab them.

“We just want senior activists to get the due respect and place in the party,” she said.

PML-N provincial vice president Waqif Khan emphasised that the party’s office should be given on the basis of merit, seniority and sacrifices.

“We have been in the party for around three decades and rendered sacrifices whenever its leaders faced difficulties but failed to get access to top leaders whenever our party came to power,” he lamented.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2016