Emerging bifurcation: PTI Charsadda groupings threaten hold in district

Internal rifts seem to go back to party organiser’s de-seating Muhammad Matta.

SHABQADAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Charsadda which already had two factions is dividing into more splinter groups before proposed intraparty elections.

The party’s two groups – led by MPA Arif Ahmadzai and former NA candidate Jehanzeb Dhaki – emerged before local government elections in September. Ahmadzai’s camp has now split up into two blocs – one led by Insaf Students Federation Charsadda President Kamran Haleemzai and the other by PTI tehsil naib nazim Ghafarullah Sheikh and PTI Charsadda parliamentary leader Shahidullah. The blame games directed at each other are rapidly escalating.

At press conferences held in the district in the past few days, Haleemzai accused Shahidullah and Ghafarullah of using the PTI platform for personal benefits. “They have spent MPA funds in their union council and have employed their relatives in K-P government department against the merit policy,” said Haleemzai. He added both party members had ignored party ideology and created rifts within PTI. He demanded their immediate expulsion.

Shabqadar tehsil council members Muzamil Khan, Hamid Ehsan and former candidate Wakeel Khan lent their support to Haleemzai.

On the other hand, tehsil naib nazim Ghafarullah Shiekh’s camp rejected the accusations and said Haleemzai’s group was blackmailing them to get personal benefits. Even though both camps were claiming they had the support of MPA Ahmadzai, who is currently at a national security workshop in Islamabad for a month, has been silent on the issue.

Correlations, connections

Insiders familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune the present blame game is linked to a previous rivalry where Shabqadar LG district members raised their voice against party provincial organiser Fazal Khan and district nazim Fahad Khan during district government elections.

Earlier this week, at a meeting in Shabqadar, district members threatened district nazim with creating hurdles in passing the budget if he does not consult them in matters of governance. They said district nazim allotted department committee chairmanships to other district members and ignored Shabqadar councillors. “If the nazim does not change his attitude towards us and the district, we will create obstacles for him in the passage of district budget from the assembly,” one member said.

PTI provincial organiser Fazal Muhammad Khan de-seated PTI former provincial president Muhammad Akbar Khan Matta for violating party policy and abstaining from voting. Matta, however, said he was absent from district nazim elections on grounds of his ill health. Matta has now decided to challenge the election commission verdict in the high court and also seems adamant on informing PTI chief Imran Khan about Fazal Khan’s behaviour.

Imran is scheduled to visit Charsadda on November 19 where he will address party workers in Fazal Khan’s hujra. Political analysts believe if party members remain busy in their internal groupings, Imran’s visit to Charsadda will be affected and PTI which aims to challenge the status of ANP, QWP and JUI-F will taint its currently strong image.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2015.