PESHAWAR: Things for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seem to be getting complicated as many of its senior office-bearers and activists are likely to join hands with the annoyed group led by Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa.

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn here on Monday that Khosa had very close contacts with the party’s disgruntled leaders and that he had plans to visit Mardan soon to meet former central general secretary Saranjam Khan and other Leaguers angry with Sharifs.

Know more: PML-N stalwarts make no secret of indignation

He said many senior leaders had grievances against the central leadership as they felt being neglected by it despite having party government in the centre.

“We cannot expect any good from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is already busy with sit-in and public meetings. However, it is the duty of our central leadership to cash in on this opportunity by initiating mega development schemes, re-activating annoyed workers and strengthening party in the province,” he said.

Disgruntled leader to visit Mardan soon to see Saranjam, others angry with Sharifs

The PML-N leader said party leaders Engineer Amir Muqam and Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan represented the federal government in the province but they had failed to come up to the workers; expectations.

However, Saranjam Khan insisted he had met Nawaz Sharif and had no issues with him anymore.

“I have some health problems and therefore, I’m unable to continue with party activities in the existing situation,” the former PML-N central general secretary told Dawn.

When contacted, a representative of annoyed PML-N workers in the province, Abdul Sattar Khalil, said Zulfiqar Khosa was in contact with all disgruntled people of the party in the province.

“We’ll invite him (Khosa) to a workers’ convention if the (party’s) central leadership doesn’t remove our grievances,” he said.

Khalil said the central leadership was not ready to pay due attention to workers as senior vice president of the party Engineer Amir Muqam had convey their grievances to Shahbaz Sharif, but to no avail.

“We have prepared a list of 51 party office-bearers at different levels across the province, who are ready to go any extent if their complaints are not addressed (by leadership),” he said.

The PML-N disgruntled leader said had the central leadership any respect for activists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, it would have never sent Marvi Memon, a military dictator’s former aide, to the province for distribution of cash and relief items among internally displaced persons.

“That woman (Marvi) was a strong supporter and close aide of retired general Pervez Musharraf during his dictatorship but she changed her loyalty and joined the PML-N to secure a good position. All this shows our leader Nawaz Sharif doesn’t believe in seniority otherwise there are many, who have been serving the party for decades,” he said.

Khalil said instead of sending in someone from the centre, the federal government should have tasked Amir Muqam or Bajaur MNA Shahabuddin Khan with distributing food among IDPs.

He denied annoyed leaders had forced the provincial governor into transferring tehsildars, police officials or some government employees to please them.

“Our party had secured over 0.9 million votes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2013 general elections and if the party leadership doesn’t address unrest among workers, the PML-N will not be able to get one lakh votes in the province,” he said.

The disgruntled leader claimed some Leaguers like provincial general secretary Rehmat Salam Khattak were creating misunderstanding among leaders and that the present phenomenon would have very negative impact on the party in future.

Annoyed PML-N leaders Rashid Mehmood Khan and Waqif Khan also expressed similar views.

However, Rehmat Salam Khattak insisted he was playing a role to arrange meeting of the party people with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor and hadn’t discriminated against anyone in this regard.

“I respect all party people equally but those weakening it (party) have no respect for me. A handful people cannot do anything,” he claimed.

About the governor’s meeting with the annoyed leaders, Khattak said there was no bar on anyone but they should apply for the purpose.

“The governor cannot meet anyone at party offices as being the constitutional representative of the centre, he’s to avoid participation in political activities,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 11th , 2014