RAWALPINDI: Schism within Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Rawalpindi chapter became more evident on the birthday of party’s slain chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, on Saturday.

Five groups - Naheed Khan Group, Amir Fida Paracha group, Saleem Khan alias Sheema group, Mian Khurram Group and Naib Nazimeen group - arranged separate functions to commemorate their leader’s birthday.

Except for Naheed Khan, all the groups avoided visiting Benazir Bhutto’s memorial at Liaquat Bagh, where PPP had established a blood donation camp.

Naheed Khan and other members of PPP, including former Senator Sardar Saleem, Ibne Rizvi and others, turned up at Liaquat Bagh, where they offered prayers.

However, others opted to arrange their own ceremonies. PPP City President Amir Fida Paracha, along with PPP workers, established blood donation camps at Benazir Bhutto, Holy Family and District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospitals.

Different factions of the party organise separate events to honour their slain leader

“This year, the blood donations will be given to Pakistan Army, which is struggling to flush out the terrorists from North Waziristan,” said Amir Fida Paracha, while talking to Dawn.

He said that after the assassination of Ms Bhutto, PPP did not cut the cake for her birthday celebrations.

He said that Party Leader Asif Ali Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wanted to donate blood for the soldiers of Pakistan Army.

He said that more than 100 party workers donated their blood and made a pledge to continue the mission of their former leader to fight against extremism, dictatorship, poverty and ignorance.

Commenting on the other functions, he said that the party’s city organisation had invited all the workers to come to the camps and express solidarity on this occasion, but some workers were annoyed from the party.

Shujaat Haider Naqvi, a senior local leader, said that the workers will be united once the party is launched campaign under the leadership of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He admitted that some groups arranged their own functions, but said that all the workers were a part of the party and the differences will be removed in near future.

Sher Alam, a PPP worker in Raja Bazaar, said that the workers demanded reorganisation of the party after their defeat in general elections last year.

However, he said that the request of the workers have fallen on deaf ears.

He said that some groups had been patronised by PPP Punjab President Manzoor Watto, while some were being patronised by former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, creating unrest within the party.

Nasir Mir, a former naib nazim, said that the workers avoided the events conducted by the present organisation as they demanded reorganisation of the party at local level.

He said that the party did not launch any work for the improvement of the city in last five years and even former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had failed to give time to the workers during his tenure.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd , 2014