MANSEHRA: The ongoing confrontation between the ruling PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has forced the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to scrap its plan of holding intra-party elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The party has now started selecting office-bearers for the bodies at division, district and tehsil levels.

“The current political situation in view of the recent confrontation between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and PTI has compelled us to leave our strategy of intra-party elections and go for selection of office-bearers for the divisional, district and tehsil bodies through consensus among the party workers,” said Hamayun Khan, the provincial secretary general of PPP, while speaking at the workers convention held at the residence of former provincial minister Shujah Salim Khan here on Thursday.

The party workers and activities from Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan and Torghar districts attended the gathering.

The provincial secretary general said that the PPP high command wanted early completion of the party organisations at divisional, district and tehsil levels to get prepared for ‘all sorts of situations’.

Mr Khan said that both the PML-N and PTI governments at the centre and province, respectively, had failed to deliver and people were suffering the brunt of their tussle for power.

“Imran Khan wants to become prime minister while Nawaz Sharif is not ready to leave his powers, and their tussle has plunged the country into a state of uncertainty,” he said.

He said that people had been facing the worst power outages while the government was doing nothing to address this core issue except raising hollow slogans.

He said that his party under the leadership of former president Asif Ali Zardari had adopted the policy of consensus, but the current rulers were following the policy of confrontation.

KIDS SHOW TALENT: The children with disabilities on Thursday highlighted issues being faced by the country through skits and tableaus presented in a function organised in connection with the Independence Day.

The students of Government School for Deaf and the Centre for Mentally Retarded and Physically Handicapped performed in a function organised jointly by the district administration and social welfare department at Jinnah Basic School and College.

The children highlighted important issues such as child labour and discriminatory attitude of society towards the people with disabilities. They also highlighted issues of illiteracy and its effects on society.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2014