PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party lags behind its rival parties in completing its organisational units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa though the next general election is approaching fast.

The PPP will have to expedite its activities to bring back its workers who had parted ways with it during the 2013 general election. Most of its workers have joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and now it is a challenge for PPP to bring them back into its folds.

According to insiders, the top leadership has given three months to the provincial cabinet to complete all the organisational units till August, but it seems difficult due to some internal differences. It was learnt that some senior people were trying to bring their loyal colleagues as office-bearers at different levels to help nominate candidates in future.

Insiders say internal differences affecting the process

The provincial leadership in a circular had recently asked all the district units to avoid notifying new office-bearers without approval of the provincial cabinet, but Peshawar chapter of the party apparently defied the instructions by announcing names without approval of the provincial president.

“We have not defied any decision because all the district units have the powers to organise the party in respective limits. I held a meeting with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a couple of days ago and apprised him of the plan to strengthen the party in Peshawar,” Misbahuddin, PPP Peshawar district general secretary, told this correspondent. He said that every district level cabinet should appoint activists on merit as early as possible to start preparations for the general election.

About his plan for strengthening the party, he said that ideological people would be appointed at the union council, town and village council levels to successfully activate the workers. He argued that the provincial cabinet should not abolish the constituency-wise organisations, saying that there were many competent people who could run the party in the constituencies.

However, PPP Peshawar division president Liaquat Shabab said that the constituency-wise structure had already been abolished by the provincial cabinet and a circular in this regard was issued to inform the workers. He said that the PPP constitution did not have any provision regarding constituency level units.

About the slow process of reorganisation, he said that the office-bearers had been appointed in most of the areas. About the parting of ways by former MNA Tariq Khattak, who joined Awami National Party, Mr Shabab said that it made no difference.

Provincial senior vice-president Syed Ayub Shah told Dawn that PPP had roots in the masses, but it needed reorganisation on ideological basis. “We have given our suggestions to Bilawal Bhutto for strengthening the party. The party has the capability to win next elections,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2017