MANSEHRA, April 6: Differences have emerged in Pakistan People’s Party, Mansehra chapter over allotment of tickets for the coming elections after a former woman MPA quit the party and announced to contest the election as an independent candidate from PK-53.“PPP leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been adopting a discriminatory attitude towards women applicants, which will turn out to be a great setback for the party ahead of elections,” Sajida Tabbasum told a news conference here on Saturday.

Ms Sajida, who was a member of the former KP Assembly, had applied for the PK-53 party ticket but the parliamentary board allotted the ticket to former revenue minister Shuja Salim Khan.

Mr Shuja, who is also the divisional president of party in Hazara, had also won the election from the constituency in 2008.

Ms Sajida said she had applied for seats reserved for women but the party placed her on the ninth number on priority list, while other women rejected by other political parties were given top positions.

“There is no place for people following the ideology of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and those who had betrayed the party and its leadership are now holding top positions of the party,” said Ms Sajida. Ms Sajida, who was also the deputy secretary general of PPP women wing in the district, said other activists of the party would follow suit.

She said former MPA Naeema Nisar, who had been ignored and discriminated against by the party leaders, resigned from the party and contesting the general elections from Abbottabad.

“If we are not acceptable as valuable party assets, then why we were inducted in the assembly or government on special seats of women,” she asked.

Another former MPA from Haripur Faiza Rasheed also spoke on the occasion by telephone and said a party leader in Hazara demanded Rs2 million from her for the party ticket.

“It is unfortunate that a ‘mafia’ is ruling PPP in KP and discriminating against workers, especially women, but they are in no mood to tolerate them any longer,” she said.

Ms Faiza said PPP women activists couldn’t serve the people after being elected on special seats and that was why almost all former MPAs of the party had decided to contest on general seats in the coming general elections but none of them was given party tickets.

“Except a female candidate, who came from another party, is contesting the election on general seat. None of the former MPAs has been allotted tickets,” she said.