PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Peoples Party on Thursday decided to mobilise its workers in the newly-merged tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the forthcoming provincial assembly and local government elections.

The decision was made during a meeting of the party’s provincial cabinet at the house of PPP provincial president Mohammad Humayun Khan here.

The participants, including PPP central general secretary Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, provincial general secretary Faisal Karim Kundi, provincial information secretary Rubina Khalid, tribal region president Akhunzada Chattan and other office bearers, to discuss the current political situation in tribal districts. The PPP leaders highlighted problems facing the residents of tribal districts.

Some former election candidates and party’s office-bearers belonging to tribal districts, who were also in attendance, suggested ways to re-organise the party in the region.

Party leadership discusses region’s political situation ahead of PA, LG polls

The participants expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the existing organisational structure in tribal districts and suggested the immediate removal of the current office-bearers.

They believed that the re-organisation would not benefit the party in elections unless the district office-bearers were replaced with sincere and efficient activists.

Many of them complained about the poor performance of PPP candidates in the last general elections and said the party won only one National Assembly seat from Kurram district, while most of its nominees in tribal districts suffered humiliating defeat.

They also insisted that there were differences in the party forcing workers to stay away from its affairs.

A PPP statement issued here said the disgruntled workers would be re-activated in tribal districts by holding conventions.

PPP provincial president Humayun Khan said schedule for worker conventions would be announced by the relevant district organisations, where all workers would ensure their participation.

He said the party would take part in the next provincial assembly and local government elections in tribal districts to play its due role effectively in the region’s development.

Mr Nayyar Bukhari flayed the government’s policies saying the ruling PTI had failed to provide basic facilities of life to the tribal people despite their region’s merger with KP.

He said the residents of tribal districts had rendered sacrifices for the protection of the country and therefore, they deserved to be facilitated on a priority basis.

Mr Faisal Kundi urged the government to implement reforms in tribal districts and provide facilities to the residents to address their sense of deprivation. He said the PPP leadership had taken all possible steps for the development of tribal people and abolition of the black law of Frontier Crime Regulation.

The PPP leader said he was hopeful that the government would make no U-turn on its plan to develop tribal districts and would provide shelter and jobs to the residents without discrimination.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2019