PESHAWAR, April 29: Pakistan People’s Party has expelled two of its leaders from Peshawar for contesting the May 11 election on two local provincial assembly seats independently against its nominees in violation of the party discipline.

Among them are candidate for PK-I Aziz Khan and candidate for PK-2 Haji Anwar Khan Safi.

According to an insider, the PPP leadership had warned them to withdraw their nomination papers but they ignored the warning and kept running their campaigns against party candidates.

Also in the day, PPP expelled former provincial president Senator Sardar Ali Khan for supporting his son in NA-5, Nowshera against its nominee, Tariq Khattak.

It is learnt that the party has directed office-bearer Bahramand Khan of Tangi to visit all PPP people contesting election independently and ask them to withdraw their papers and support its candidates.

“Mr Bahramand will lead a delegation to disgruntled activists for redressing their grievances and persuading them to support the party’s ticket holders,” a source in the party said, adding that those continued with violation of party discipline would face expulsion.

He said many PPP people were contesting election independently in the province and preferred action by the party to withdrawal of candidatures.

The source said Haji Jehangir Khan of Sakhakot was contesting election against PPP ticket holder Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha from PK-98 and Qasim Qasab against former provincial minister and provincial general secretary of PPP Mohammad Hamayun Khan from PK-99, Batkhela.

When contacted, the two candidates claimed that the party workers had forced them into contesting election by awarding tickets to the former lawmakers, including ministers, though their performance over the last five years had been a big letdown for workers.

Haji Jehangir, candidate from PK-98, Malakand, said PPP ministers in the provincial and central governments had paid no heed towards the workers’ problems during the last five years and served own interests only.

“We are not against the party but workers have forced us to contest election independently as they want us to focus on resolution of their issues as their elected representatives,” he said.

Haji Jehangir said the former ministers and lawmakers from the party had ignored workers and even avoided meeting them.

“We are followers of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and her daughter Benazir Bhutto, who laid down their lives for the welfare of the poor people, but the former lawmakers totally forgot about their mission,” he said.

Qasim Qasab, too, said he would contest election independently despite being issued notices by the party.

“I will win election. I have torn apart all notices issued to me because a district general secretary had issued them to me. That is wrong because I am member of PPP provincial council,” he said, adding that he was contesting against provincial general secretary and therefore, he, too, could not issue him notice.

He said the PPP nominee, Hamayun Khan, was the district nazim during the Musharraf government.

“He (Hamayun Khan) supported Musharraf’s referendum, took out a procession of 400 vehicles to welcome the former military ruler in Peshawar, but no body issued him notice,” he said.

Qasim Qasab said his rival candidate had supported Saleem Saifullah Khan against PPP candidate Lal Mohammad Khan in Malakand in the past but he continued to hold a key position in PPP.

Another PPP leader, Bacha Hussain, who contesting from NA-35, Malakand against PPP’s Lal Mohammad Khan, said he would contest the election at all costs and would not succumb to any pressure.