NOWSHERA, March 19: A deep split within Pakistan People’s Party in Nowshera is likely to adversely affect the Asif Zardari-led party’s performance in the district during the coming elections.

Insiders say rival groups in the party are unwilling to support each other in the elections and therefore, that will benefit the candidates of other parties.

There are three groups in the party. One is led by ex-PPP provincial president Sardar Ali Khan, second by PPP district president Engineer Tariq Khattak and third by ex-provincial excise and taxation minister Liaquat Shabab.

Lately, Shahzad Ali Khan, son of former PPP provincial president and Senator Sardar Ali Khan, announced to contest the election as an independent candidate in NA-5, Nowshera-I, against PPP district president and ex-MNA Engineer Tariq Khattak to the surprise of many.

PPP, PK-12 president Ilyas Khan told Dawn that all party organisations in the constituency had announced support for Shahzad Ali complaining of Tariq Khattak’s poor performance during the last five years.

He, however, said the party leadership was pressuring Sardar Ali to contest election in PK-12 but he was not ready to accept it.

The PPP sources said Liaquat Shabab and PK-13 candidate Mian Yahya would apparently support Engineer Tariq Khattak in elections but in fact, their support was for Sardar Ali.

However, Mian Yahya said he and Liaquat Shabab had held repeated meetings with Tariq Khattak and assured him of their support in case the party awarded ticket to him.

He said some anti-party elements were trying to create confusion about party affairs to benefit from it.

“Liaquat Shabab and I can’t even think of going against the party decision,” he said.

It is learned that another group comprising former MPA Mir Haider Lala, provincial PPP executive committee member Mian Ajmal Shah, senior vice president in the district Farooq, former PK-16 candidate Mian Akmal Shah, district information secretary Mian Sajid Ali Shah Shebli and PK-14 president Saleem Khokhar had a meeting at Kund Park recently and decided to formally inform provincial president of the party Anwar Saifullah Khan about the party differences in the district.

The participants expressed concern about the situation and decided that workers would be mobilised against the leaders violating the party rules.