PESHAWAR: There are divisions and infighting in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the party’s central leadership appears to be indifferent to them.

Observers feel if the PML-N leaders patch things up amicably, the party could use the ‘weaknesses’ of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government in the province to its benefit.

Observers say some Leaguers have sides with the adviser to the prime minister, Engineer Amir Muqam, while others support Pir Sabir Shah and Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan.

They say the Nawaz Sharif-led party is a divided house in the adjoining tribal areas.

According to observers, the opposition parties in the province criticise the PTI government over ‘failure to deliver’ but have yet to do something tangible to cash in on the situation.

According to observers, the PML-N can easily increase its vote bank by initiating development work.

Observers say if Leaguers patch things up, party could use PTI govt’s weaknesses to its benefit

“Whenever Engineer Amir Muqam interacts with officials of any federal government department like National Highway Authority, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited or Wapda and the media covers such interactions, the spirits of the PML-N workers are raised otherwise, most of them are unhappy, chief due to the indifference of the central leadership towards party affairs,” an observer told Dawn on Saturday.

He said by and large, the central PML-N leadership had ignored the problems of workers in the province.

The observer said if the PML-N focused even on the development work delayed by Wapda, SNGPL, communication department and ensured its early completion, its position could grow stronger.

He said the party should also try to remove unrest among workers.

According to him, the senior Leaguers have adopted a wait and see policy on the performance of the provincial government.

PML-N leaders insisted major issues faced by people in the province were power cuts, inflation and joblessness and that it was the duty of the federal government (led by their party) to play its role in mitigating the people’s misery on socioeconomic front.

Recently, PML-N provincial general secretary Rehmat Salam Khattak had threatened agitation after one month if the PTI leadership didn’t focus on the development of the province.

When contacted, Khattak denied grouping in the party and said things in the party were ‘in control.’

“We have overcome issues (in the party), which are unlikely to rise again,” he said.

The PML-N leader said everyone in the party should try to resolve disputes instead of sticking to them and fanning them.

He said he was hopeful that the party’s government in the centre would do a lot for the people of the province after dealing with major national problems, including terrorism and energy shortage.

“My statement is not the (PML-N) central leadership’s policy but we, the provincial leadership, have the right to warn the provincial government as its policies are a total failure,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 6th , 2014