RAWALPINDI: The PPP Rawalpindi chapter issued notices to two office-bearers for their support of the PTI candidate in the NA-60 by-election, calling this a violation of the party’s decision.

The PPP had announced that it would support the PML-N in by-elections across the country, and had asked party workers and leaders to support PML-N candidates against the PTI.

However, PPP Rawalpindi Additional Secretary General Banaras Chaudhry and Senior Vice President Jameel Qureshi had announced their support for PTI’s Sheikh Rashid Shafique.

PPP City President Babar Jadoon told Dawn that Qamar Zaman Kaira, the party’s Punjab president, had taken notice of the violation and asked for notices to be served on the two party office-bearers.

Two PPP leaders had announced support for PTI’s Sheikh Rashid Shafique, in violation of the party’s decision to support PML-N in by-polls

He said PPP leaders had been warned not to violate the party’s decision or else they would face action. He said the party had announced that it would support the PML-N’s candidates, and this would be implemented. He added that local party workers oppose Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and do not support his nephew, Mr Shafique.

He said workers also informed the party that some leaders were supporting their opponents, after which party leaders were banned from attending public meetings organised by PTI candidates.

“Party workers have been against Sheikh Rashid, who contested elections from various parties’ platforms, for the last 33 years and the PPP has always opposed him. The party workers are disheartened by the failure of the party to field its own candidate in the election from the main city areas, but they are supporting the PML-N candidate,” he said.

The PPP will support Sajjad Khan in the city, Mr Jadoon said, adding that both parties have arranged joint public meetings in a day or two.

He added that the PTI’s role in politics was strange; the party made tall claims about merit after coming into power but are using old tactics to pressure political opponents.

Mr Jadoon said: “It is clear that the PPP opposed the policies of the PTI in the centre and in Punjab. The PPP will not open the field to the PTI, and so it has supported the PML-N.”

Although a few local PPP leaders are supporting the PTI’s candidate, it will not affect the popularity of the PML-N in the city areas, a senior PML-N leader told Dawn. He said the PPP had been informed about this and had assured action would be taken against those violating party discipline.

He said the PML-N received more than 200,000 votes in the adjoining two constituencies, which indicated that it has enough votes in NA-60. The PPP’s support will help improve the PML-N position on Oct 14.

The party also reached out to Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) for its support in the by-election and JI has not fielded a candidate in NA-60. He said a party delegation met with JI Rawalpindi Emir Shamsur Rehman Swati and they said they would make a decision in a day or two.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2018