PPP divided over ticket distribution

CHITRAL, March 6: The local chapter of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stands divided over the issue of allotment of party tickets in the district for the upcoming general elections, according to sources. They say that workers of PPP in Chitral, having two seats of provincial assembly and one of National Assembly, are confused and don’t know as to who will be their candidates in the general polls. Former tehsil nazim Sartaj Ahmed Khan said the district was a stronghold of PPP since its establishment as party’s founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had started work on Lowari tunnel project in 1975 and visited Chitral seven times when during his government. However, the party always performed poorly in the elections owing to split among its workers over award of tickets, he said, adding that a parallel candidate was always fielded against the one nominated by the party. “Unfortunately it is going to happen again,” Mr Khan said. He added that convention of PPP workers was not convened to know their views about the would-be candidates. He said that absence of PPP district president and Provincial Minister Salim Khan from the recently held meeting of workers despite his presence in the town was a bad omen as it showed that the workers were still divided. He said that the district president had failed to keep the workers united.–Dawn  ]]>