SWABI: The Awami National Party will hold its workers convention here on August 21 in a bid to reorganise the party at the district level.

Talking to Dawn on Saturday, they said serious efforts were being made to unite leaders and workers at a single platform to make it emerge a formidable political force in the district.

Gul Zamin Shah, a former election candidate, said that the convention, being held at his residence, was aimed at bringing back into party fold the annoyed leaders and workers. However, he said that no member of the rival group was expected to participate in the Sunday’s meeting of the party’s central council at Wali Bagh despite invitations to them by the central leadership. “The central leadership sought names for the central and provincial councils from the rival groups but they turned down the offer,” he added.

Annoyed group unlikely to be in attendance

Insiders said that ANP district president Haji Rehmanullah had also invited the annoyed group, led by former district nazim Jehanzeb Khan, to all the previous meetings held in this regard, but the latter refused to do so.

They said that the annoyed group was unlikely to attend the workers’ convention which was expected to be graced by the central and provincial leaders.

On the other hand, former MPA Dr Yasmeen Jaseem said that she was neither invited to the Wali Bagh meeting nor to the district convention.

She admitted that there were serious differences in the party ranks at the district level and that if the central leadership didn’t intervene it might prove harmful for the party. “The annoyed leaders include some heavyweights who always have a role to play in the district politics and their inclusion back into the party fold is in the best interest of ANP,” she stressed.

Meanwhile, annoyed activists said that they had met with former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ameer Haidar Hoti in Mardan and discussed the party affairs with him, putting forward their own point of view.

The diehard workers called for the need to resolve differences without delay and urged the leadership to be flexible and accommodative.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2014