JHANG, March 8: Frequent reshuffles in the PPP leadership due to alleged differences among the district higher-ups have dwindled the party's chances of winning bypolls to the seats of the three union council Nazims and NA-89 scheduled to be held late this month.

The NA-89 seat has been lying vacant since the assassination of Maulana Azam Tariq. The election commission will shortly announce the date for the election. Information collected by this correspondent revealed that the tussle started three months ago when PPP District President Qazi Ali Hassan, an MPA, axed Jhang city president Jamil Ansari and secretary-general Sufi Muhammad Ashraf, along with the entire set-up, due to their alleged liaison with Federal Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat. Qazi Hassan was allegedly backed by the party's Punjab president.

The move was a severe blow to the party in Jhang, a district which is plagued by strife and sectarianism. Both Jamil Ansari and Sufi Ashraf enjoyed some influence in the city, with the former twice coming very close to defeating Sipah-i-Sahaba's candidate in the provincial assembly elections in 1993 and 1997.

The deposed PPP office-bearers alleged that they were not served with any show-cause notices and removed without any formal inquiry against them. They said they were ousted for exposing the inefficiency of the district head, who because of his position was the blue-eyed boy of the party's provincial organization.

Mr Ansari's successor, Iqbal Anjum, was a provincial SVP of the People's Youth Organization, enjoying the reputation of a dedicated activists. Although he didn't have any electoral background, he embarked upon a rebuilding campaign at the grassroots due to his commitment to the party cause. However, he developed differences with the district president on Jan 5 when the latter didn't turn up at the anniversary of the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He criticized the district president for staying away after which their tussle aggravated. At the recently held protest camp of the ARD, the two leaders were almost at dagger's drawn.

Reacting to it, Mr Anjum informed the party's high command through a letter about the district president's apathy towards the party. The party higher-ups, however, directed Qazi Hassan to sack the city president.

Mr Anjum told this correspondent that he was succeeded by a favourite of Qazi Hassan, who was "incapable of getting elected as a councillor." Mr Anjum said the district head, during his seven-year tenure, had not been able to establish a party office at the district headquarters nor did he hold a single meeting or function.

Keeping in view the current situation, he said, the party stood little chance to win elections.