MANSEHRA: With the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf standing divided in Hazara, a group led by former opposition leader in the provincial assembly Shahzada Gustasab Khan on Friday criticised party’s divisional president Zargul Khan for pursuing ‘destructive’ policies.

“Zargul Khan has destroyed the party by favouring own men and ignoring loyalists. The party is losing popularity due to his destructive policies in Mansehra and Hazara,” former PTI district president Niaz Khan Sarkhali told a meeting of the Gustasab group here.

The meeting called to decide the group’s future course of action against Zargul Khan was attended by Shahzada Gustasab, Niaz Sarkhali, former PTI district president Shafahat Ali and other activists.

The group decided to form a 20-member committee to apprise the provincial and central leadership of their grievances.

Mr. Sarkhali said the PTI’s divisional president first names office-bearers of district and tehsil bodies in Mansehra and later dissolved them without taking senior party activists into confidence.

“We want intra-party elections in Mansehra and will not accept any body without loyal workers and leaders,” he said.

Mr. Shafahat Ali said the party was losing popularity in Hazara due to internal crisis and if things didn’t change, it wouldn’t win even a single national and provincial assembly seat.

He said all those who had rendered great sacrifices for the party were being disgraced.

“We will soon announce future line of action against the district president in light of the recommendations of the 20-member committee,” he said.

Later in the day, PTI divisional president Zargul Khan criticised the Gustasab group for his ‘uncalled-for’ criticism.

He told reporters here that the disgruntled group consisted of the losers of the elections for national and provincial assembly seats in Mansehra, Torghar, Battagram and Kohistan districts.

“A handful people always create hurdles to the execution of the policies of successful leaders. I never mind whatever dissidents say. Instead I ask them to talk to me about their grievances for resolution,” he said.

KILLED: A man was killed when his motorcycle collided with the police van on Swabi-Jehangira Road here on Friday.

The police said their personnel were changing a tyre of their mobile van on the roadside when Nasir Khan lost control of his speeding motorcycle and rammed it into the van.

They said the motorcyclist of Chota Lahor tehsil died of critical injuries on the spot, while the policemen remained unharmed.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2017