MUZAFFARABAD, March 28: The Peoples’ Party of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PPAJK) has formally applied to the AJK Election Commission for registration under the Political Parties Act and sought allotment of ‘arrow’ as its election symbol. The application for registration was submitted to Chief Election Commissioner Justice Reaz Akhtar Chaudhry by the party’s president, Sahibzada Mohammad Ishaq Zaffar. General Elections in the AJK are due in mid-2006.

The request is said to have been made apparently in view of a claim of the party’s former president, Barrister Sultan Mahmood, that the PPAJK had been registered in his name and no one could use its symbol without his consent.

PPP chairperson had replaced Barrister Mahmood with Sahibzada Zaffar in Sept 2004. However, Mr Mehmood still holds the office of the leader of the opposition in the AJK assembly.

Disputing Barrister Mehmood’s claim, Mr Zaffar said that so far no person had got the party registered with the election commission under the Political Parties Act.

“It was only on Saturday that an application was submitted to the election commission for registration of the party and allotment of an election symbol,” Mr Zaffar told reporters here on Monday.

He said he had attached a list of central office-bearers and the party’s manifesto with his application.

Mr Zaffar, who is also a member of the AJK Legislative Assembly, pointed out that ever since his appointment as the party’s president, the election commission had been inviting him to represent the party at meetings aimed at discussing arrangements for the forthcoming elections.

He said: “Peoples Party means loyalty to the Bhutto family and the honour of getting it registered with the election commission will also go to the party’s stalwarts.”

Responding to a question, he said there was no friction in the party and all workers were united under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto.

“Those who are disobeying orders of Ms Bhutto are not part of the party. They have no right to use the party’s name,” Mr Zaffar said and called upon party workers to ignore the ‘turncoats.’

Replying to another question, he said the PPAJK had left its options open for entering into an electoral alliance with other political parties.