LAHORE, Oct 10: Eyeing the support of Pakistan People’s Party activists and leaders who fell out with its leadership during the party’s four-and-a-half-year tenure in the government, Nahid Khan and Senator Safdar Abbasi have accelerated their efforts to bring all ‘dissidents’ on one platform before the next general elections.

According to a PPP source, the couple is focusing on Sindh and holding meetings with those party members, including legislators, who have been expressing their serious concern at the recently-promulgated local government ordinance in the province.

The source said if the couple succeeded in bringing a good number of known party leaders on one platform, it might announce formation of their own faction in the PPP.

“At present, the couple is in talks with two disgruntled PPP MNAs -- Zafar Ali Shah and NawabYousuf Talpur -- in Sindh and hoped to lure a good number of workers too,” he said.

Similarly, he said, the couple had also approached the PPP MNA, Nasir Ali Shah, from Quetta who reportedly had differences with the party leadership.

“Once they make a strong group comprising dissenting PPP activists, Ms Nahid and Mr Abbasi may contest next poll from Larkana,” the source added.

Though former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani too reportedly has differences with PPP co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari, he appears to be in no mood to join hands with other disgruntled elements in the party.

Safdar Abbasi told Dawn he and his wife Nahid Khan had been trying to gather all the PPP ‘ideologues’ on one platform.

“Since the party leadership has ignored its diehard workers and party ideology, it is fast losing workers trust. The struggle we had started off over four years ago has brought a large number of party activists on our side to force the leadership to follow the ideology of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” he said.

Abbasi said despite offers from various parties to join them he and his wife never thought of leaving the PPP.

“Today many workers are worried about the way the party is being run and deviated from its principles,” he said.

He said they (the couple) were in touch with several known personalities of the party who were not happy with the leadership’s polices and would announce their course of action in the days to come.