Breaking away: PPP leader forms separate group for intra-party polls

Tariq Khattak expresses lack of confidence in committee constituted by Bilawal


Hidayat Khan July 18, 2016
The PPP leader said his is not a separate group and these individuals want to revive the party in the province. He invited all those leaders and workers, who wanted to relive the party’s past grandeur, to join the group. PHOTO: INP

PESHAWAR: Differences in the provincial ranks of Pakistan People Party (PPP) surfaced once again after a senior leader of the party, Tariq Khattak, expressed lack of confidence in a committee constituted by party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto.

The committee was formed on April 3 and was supposed to file recommendations within three months. The committee is headed by Rahimdad Khan, while its members include Senator Rubina Khalid, Engineer Humayun Khan, Noor Alam Khan and Shuja Khan.

Khattak formed his own group called ‘PPP ideological’.

He declared himself as a candidate for the seat of provincial president of the party despite the fact that PPP has yet to announce intra-party elections.

On Monday, Khattak, a former MNA from Nowshera, appeared at Peshawar Press Club along with other leaders including Misbahuddin and Ghani Gul to announce his candidature. Also, Misbahuddin will contest for the information secretary seat and Abdullah Yousafzai will stand for general secretary. Meanwhile, Bilawal’s committee is busy at work but there are no intra-party elections for the foreseeable future.

“The committee has failed to make any progress even though three months have passed,” Tariq said. “We have no confidence in it.” The PPP leader said his is not a separate group and these individuals want to revive the party in the province. He invited all those leaders and workers, who wanted to relive the party’s past grandeur, to join the group.

He said other senior leaders, including Masood Kausar, Muzaffar Shah, Abdul Akbar Khan and Azam Afridi, were also supporting them. Khattak said his group is ready for intra-party elections under any rules or procedures devised by the central leadership of the party.

After its loss in general elections and poor showing in the local government polls under the leadership of Khanzada Khan, the party has been marred by the disunity and a blame game has continued since these failures. Consequently, the central leadership dissolved its provincial cabinet and formed a committee to reorganise PPP for intraparty elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19th, 2016.

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