PESHAWAR, Nov 2: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz woman leader Maryam Gandapur on Friday opposed nomination of new entrants by central leadership for the offices of the president and general secretary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Maryam, a candidate for the provincial president’s office, told reporters here that the nomination of the new entrants for key positions was in violation of the party’s constitution and therefore, the leadership should review it.

She said she had been serving PML-N in the province since 2001 and remained loyal to the party during Musharraf’s dictatorship, but ironically, she had been neglected.

Ms Maryam said at a time when the leadership was in exile and the government was bent on wreaking havoc on the party, she like many others didn’t change loyalty, took out rallies against dictatorship and strengthened party under the leadership of MPA Shazia Aurangzeb despite ‘state terrorism’.

She said many party people, including newly-nominated provincial president Tahira Bukhari, had quit PML-N and joined PML-Q during the Musharraf regime.

The PML-N woman leader said Ms Bukhari recently rejoined the party but was named the provincial president against the will of majority of old workers.

She said general secretary of PML-N women’s wing Shaheen Habibullah remained in Awami National Party and joined PML-N in 2009 but she replaced MPA Shazia Aurangzeb on a very important seat.

Mr Maryam said she was the candidate for a National Assembly seat on reserved seats during 2008 and was named for the office of the party’s provincial president by Shazia Aurangzeb in light of her commitment to and sacrifices for the party.

“All senior leaders, including Pir Sabir Shah, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, knew very well about it this,” she said.

The PML-N leader demanded that all decisions be taken on merit by the leadership to remove grievances of old workers.