PESHAWAR/LAKKI MARWAT: The divisional and district level office-bearers of Pakistan Peoples Party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have alleged that the party leadership did not take them on board while conducting the interviews for the poll candidates.

They feared that there was possibility of uprising among the workers in case an unpopular person was awarded ticket against the will of local office-bearers.

Some of the office-bearers pleading anonymity told Dawn on Saturday that in the past the divisional and even the district level presidents of the party also had to play a role in selection of the candidates but in the recently held interviews they were not paid any attention.

Heeding to the concerns, the PPP provincial chapter in a statement assured the candidates that the tickets would be awarded on merit.

It was stated that party had so far not awarded tickets to any candidate and those posing themselves as ticket holders were wrong.

The formal announcement of candidates would be made after thorough discussion in the central parliamentary board meeting.

The statement said the interviews were aimed to select potential and ideological candidates as PPP was a democratic party.

On the other hand, the names of PPP candidates for the national and provincial assembly seats will be announced by the leadership after a meeting of the central parliamentary board in Karachi on Monday, which would be chaired by PPP Parliamentarian President Asif Ali Zardari.

A party source told this correspondent the PPP provincial parliamentary board had interviewed maximum of the candidates and submitted the details to the party leadership for taking final decision.

Meanwhile, the PPP, Lakki Marwat chapter has rejected the formation of new cabinet of People’s Youth Organisation (PYO) at the divisional level and asked the leadership to review the decision in the larger interest of the youth activists.

The concern was expressed at a meeting held in Naurang city on Saturday chaired by PPP Lakki president Iqbal Hussain Advocate.

The PPP activists rejected the new cabinet of PYO and said the high command did not bother to consult the district party leaders before announcing the names of divisional office-bearers of the youth wing. They warned to announce their own office-bearers if their reservations were not addressed.

On the occasion, Iqbal Hussain, who also heads the district government, said the workers’ reservations over the PYO nominations would be brought into the notice of the party’s high command.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2018