PESHAWAR: Delay in holding intra-party polls has put ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in deep crises in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as situation in some districts has reached the boiling point.

The party, which emerged as a major political force in KP in 2013 general elections, seems to be in a state of fragmentation and breaking into many groups owing to delay in intra-party elections. The organisational structure of PTI was dissolved ahead of its sit-in in Islamabad in November 2016.

Some ‘diehard Insafians’ have revolted against the interim setup and demand intra-party elections in the province. The annoyed group has started marshalling against the interim setup in the party to pressurise the core committee to announce date and schedule for intra-party polls.

The disgruntled Insafians assembled in Nowshera on Saturday to exert pressure on the party high command to announce schedule for the intra-party polls. They will meet next week in Mardan to announce “pressure group” at the provincial level.

The “marginalised leaders” within the party complained that interim setup was making makeshift arrangements, which ruined PTI organisational structure at grassroots level.

“Currently the party does not have organisational structure even at tehsil level and party can’t survive without elected office-bearers at provincial and district levels,” said one insider.

“Khan Sahab (Imran) has entirely focused on Panama scandal, leaving the party in total turmoil in KP”, he added.

PTI core committee had postponed intra-party elections owing to Panama Leaks case in the Supreme Court. The committee wants to hold intra-party polls after general elections in 2018.

“The party structure from provincial to divisional and district to tehsil level does not exist at all. There is big disconnect between workers and those, who head the interim setup in the province,” said an MPA of PTI.

The core committee, PTI high level decision making body, had divided the party into four regions in the province. Regional presidents were appointed to run party’s affairs till conducting intra-party polls.

Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman was appointed interim head of the party for Peshawar zone, Minister For Revenue Ali Ameen Gandapur for southern zone, Minister For Tourism Mehmood Khan for Malakand zone and Zar Gul for Hazara region.

“Interestingly, Mr Zar Gul, close aide of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, has yet to formally join PTI,” said one insider. Similarly Shah Farman was defeated in intra-party polls in 2013 but he has been appointed as interim regional head of the party.

Zafarullah Khattak, the former district president of the party for Peshawar, said that PTI had turned into “mob” in the absence of organisational structure. He said that interim regional heads were appointing their like-minded ministers and MPAs as district presidents.

“If the situation persists, the coming general elections would prove a debacle for PTI in KP,” remarked Zafarullah Khattak. He said that Shah Farman, regional head of the party for Peshawar zone, had appointed MPA Arbab Jehandad Khan as interim head of PTI for Peshawar district.

“Mr Jehandad also serves as chairman of the district development advisory committee and he has been given additional charge of the party,” he said.

MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai said that intra-party elections were inevitable otherwise the party would be in big trouble. “Popular demand is to restore office-bearers, who were elected before 2013 general elections,” he added.

He said that PTI performed remarkably in previous general elections because there was elected organisational structure in the province. He added that intra-party polls could strengthen PTI in the province.

Minister Shah Farman was not available for comments as his mobile phone was not responding.

Published in Dawn January 16th, 2017