SWABI: Local Awami National Party leader Aman Khan has called the district party office-bearers and dissidents to the hujra of Shams Khan in Tarakai village here today (Sunday) in a bid to patch up things between them.

The intervention of Aman Khan, who had contested the ANP district president election but lost it to incumbent president Rehmanullah, comes in light of intense differences between the two groups, one led by district president Rehmanullah and other by former district nazim Jehanzeb Khan.

On Aug 21, ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan had visited the district on August 21 and addressed a workers’ convention.

However, members of the dissident group didn’t attend the event.

They insisted the district leadership of the party didn’t invite them to the function.

The ANP central leadership has urged the two groups to patch difference up with each other.

When contacted, Arshad Khan, who oversees the party’s membership drive, declared the Sunday meeting important and said members of rival groups would meet over launch at Shams Khan’s hujra to discuss ways to resolve differences.

There are some in the party, who have reservations about the calling of that meeting.

They insist the Sunday meeting was called by a party leader in private capacity and since he doesn’t hold any party office, the meeting can’t be called ‘official’ one.

Such leaders say in future, each group will call a meeting and will declare it ‘official’ though the fact is otherwise.

According to them, it’s the right of office-bearers, who are properly elected, to call party leaders and workers for a meeting.

A provincial party leader said he won’t participate in the ‘gathering’.

“These people, both elected ones and dissidents, have harmed the party. Instead of strengthening the party, they’re fighting for own interests,” he said.

Former provincial minister Sitara Ayaz said the party’s leadership had been trying to reach out to disgruntled activists in the province.

She, however, said necessary steps had yet to be taken to please dissidents in Swabi district, which was once the party’s stronghold.

Former MNA Bushra Gohar said in light of the current political situation in the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjoining tribal areas, the party workers should forge unity.

“If we continue fighting each other, how could we confront those harming our territory, our country, our culture?” The former MNA said she wanted rival groups to patch differences up with each other to strengthen the party.

Old activists in the district welcomed the bid to resolve differences between rival groups.

“It is a good move. We hope leaders of the two groups will bury the hatchet,” said a member of the family of Khudai Khidmatgar.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2014