PESHAWAR, March 19: People’s Party Parliamentarians workers on Monday virtually took over the party’s district convention here on Monday and asked the leaders to end their differences, revive the PPP manifesto, disseminate the party programme at grassroots level and purge it of feudal lords, intelligence agents and lackeys of imperialism.

PPP secretary-general Jehangir Badar, provincial president Rahimdad Khan, senior vice-president Syed Qamar Abbas, provincial president of women’s wing Mehrunnisa Afridi, provincial general secretary Najmuddin Khan, MPA Syed Zahir Ali Shah and others were present on the dais. PPP Peshawar president Syed Ayub Shah presided over the convention.

The convention had been held at the Gor Gathri Community Hall to mobilise the workers before the forthcoming general elections.

The workers converged on the venue in small processions led by nazims of different union councils and district office-bearers. Carrying PPP flags, they revived the traditional party culture by welcoming the speakers with drumbeats.

They chanted slogans eulogising the PPP’s founding chairman late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, chairperson Benazir Bhutto and die-hard workers who had rendered their lives for party cause during Gen Ziaul Haq’s martial law.

The hall and its surroundings were decked with party flags and banners, inscribed with basic PPP slogans like, ‘each human aspires for bread, clothes and shelter’ and ‘the masses are the fountainhead of political power’.

Speaking on the occasion, Saeed Ahmed Khan, a founding member of the PPP, said Z.A. Bhutto had joined hands with the poor, peasants and working class people and dislodged military dictators, but when nominees of deputy commissioners and police officials occupied the party slots, Gen Zia hanged him. He said that in 1979, PPP workers were on the streets but the then office-bearers were siding with the Zia regime.

He said the party had become a non-political entity and there was need to revive its manifesto.

Niaz Adil, Naib Nazim of Gulbahar, warned that the workers would not accept any ‘imported candidate’ for the National Assembly seat NA-1, Peshawar. He said they would appeal to the party high command to allot tickets to workers instead of time-servers.

There were rumours that the party ticket for the constituency might the awarded to a billionaire physician, Dr Ayazul Haq, who lives in London.

Chairman Siddique, Nazim of the Jehangirpura Union Council, questioned the PPP’s stand on the present economic, political and social conditions and the foreign policy of the country. He said that PPP had been an anti-imperialist force and its workers would keep supporting the same stance in the future. He said the working class and peasants had been the backbone of the party since its creation.

Tariq Aziz, Nazim of Lahori Union Council, said Z.A. Bhutto used to hold workers’ conventions to keep them mobilised and active in politics. He used to encourage the workers to point out weaknesses of the party leaders.

He said that in the past the establishment had transferred government to the PPP without delegating political power to it.

“We want political, not a nominal, government. If the party opts for a similar government for the third time, the workers will oust it from the power corridors,” he warned.