ALTHOUGH there is no apparent chance of general elections in the country in the near future, yet provincial chapters of almost all major political parties have geared up their activities in such a fashion as if they are flexing their muscles for upcoming polls.

In the recent past, Jamaat-i-Islami has appointed Advocate Israrullah as its information secretary, Pakistan Muslim League-N has made Arsala Khan Hoti its new spokesperson and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf has assigned the responsibilities of press secretary to Mohammad Zahid Mohmand.

Similarly, Pakistan People's Party has notified Provincial Minister for Excise and Taxation Liaquat Shabab as its new spokesman in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Shabab is yet to develop relations with journalists as presently he avoids to attend phone calls of mediapersons whenever they want to get his version in case of any new development.

JI spokesman Israrullah and Akhtar Ali of PPP-S seem the most active among the newly appointed office-bearers of political parties as they issue several press statements every day.

The PML-N spokesman claims that his party central leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif have very successfully removed differences among workers in different districts. He says that they have planned to reorganise the party at district level in the province.

“All the senior members have apprised the central leadership of their grievances and now the organising committees will arrange party elections,” Mr Hoti says.

In this connection, he adds, in some areas office-bearers have been nominated and the rest will be announced soon after return of Mian Nawaz Sharif from London.

PPP-S is also active and makes its presence felt on almost every national and local issue. In the past, it used to observe the death anniversary of former governor Hayat Mohammad Khan Sherpao at Charsadda but this year it has observed the anniversary at district level to mobilise maximum of its workers.

PPP-S spokesman says that membership forms of the party will soon be distributed in different districts to launch a drive for registration of new members. He says that organising committees have already completed the tasks assigned to them.

Though PPP spokesman could not be contacted, yet deputy general secretary of the party, Zulfiqar Afghani, says that membership drive has been launched some months ago but the process could not be completed owing to internal differences.

He says that central leadership has formed an organising committee comprising PPP provincial president Syed Zahir Ali Shah, former provincial minister Ahmed Hassan Khan, former federal minister Najamuddin Khan, Senator Sardar Ali and Provincial Finance Minister Mohammad Humayun Khan to remove differences among party workers, particularly in Malakand division.

He says that separate committees will be formed for different divisions of Hazara, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar and other areas.

Similarly, Awami National Party has also announced membership drive from April 15. Its provincial election commission has been directed to plan district election commissions and hold elections at district level.

The members of ANP provincial elections are Baz Mohammad Khan, Tajuddin Khan, Imran Afridi, Hussain Shah and Musarrat Shafi.

Likewise, PML-Q has also started reorganisation of party and its provincial president MNA Eng Amir Muqam has concentrated on holding public meetings in different districts of the province.

JI has claimed to register at least 2.5 million new members besides establishing contacts with over 10 million people in the province.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F has recently completed its organisational process. The JUI-S has also focused on mass contact campaigns. The anti-US protest demonstrations are an easy way for religious groups to make contacts with masses.

Some of the leaders of the opposition parities say that the government will not complete its tenure and they have to organise their parties to take part in the next general elections.