RAWALPINDI: Due to internal politics and groupings, the number of PPP members in the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has reduced from three to one.

Under the law, after winning elections independent candidates have to submit a certificate to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) showing their party affiliations. This has to be done within seven days after the announcement of the official results.

In the December 5 local government elections, three union council chairmen, five vice-chairmen and 28 councilors elected as independent candidates belonged to the PPP.

But only one chairman, one vice-chairman and six councilors could submit their party affiliation certificates with the ECP with the due date - December 28.

Out of three members, only one filed party affiliation certificate with ECP

They were Anjum Farooq Paracha, the brother of PPP city president Amir Fida Paracha, and his panel.

Interestingly, the remaining party workers even did not get the certificates from the PPP city president, Amir Fida Paracha, due to differences within the party. The PPP district president, Murtaza Satti, tried to resolve the matter and issued party certificates to the members.

A senior party leader told Dawn that at present the city chapter of the PPP was divided in two main groups each led by the Parachas and Babar Jadoon.

He said due to the internal differences, the party’s majority on the opposition benches would be reduced if the ECP did not accept the affiliation certificates.

He said Babar Jadoon group had announced its affiliation with the PPP soon after the election in the presence of Sindh Assembly deputy speaker Syeda Shehla Raza.

“But this did not go well with the party city president who did not guide the newly-elected members to submit their affiliation certificates with the ECP and, as a result, only his brother’s panel could file the certificates on time,” he said.

The PPP city president said it was the duty of the LG members to submit their statements showing their party affiliations.

“As per my knowledge, only one panel submitted its party affiliation with the returning officer soon after the official results were announced.”

He said neither had any member contacted him for getting the certificate nor was it necessary for the party to inform the ECP about the election of its workers.

Babar Jadoon, the elected chairman from Hazara Colony, told Dawn that he and Raja Shahid and his other panel members submitted the party affiliation certificates last week.

“We submitted the certificates after getting it from the PPP district president, Murtaza Satti. It was done three days before the deadline to submit the certificates with the district election commission,” he said.

When contacted, District Election Commissioner Nadeem Zubair said under the rule independent members had to submit their party affiliation certificates within seven days after the official announcement of the results, which were announced on December 21.

“We received the party affiliation certificates from eight members only. The ECP is following the schedule announced under the Punjab Local government Act 2013,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2016