PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party and Awami National Party have issued separate schedules to their workers in different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for joining the ongoing long march against government in Islamabad on March 8.

The ANP workers, led by provincial president Aimal Wali Khan, will reach Peshawar Motorway Interchange on Tuesday, March 8.

The workers of various districts have been instructed to reach the nearest interchanges of motorways including Charsadda, Mardan, Karnal Sher Khan, Ambala, Hazara and Hakla till 2pm to move forward to Islamabad.

Similarly, PPP workers from Kohistan, Battagram, Abbottabad and Haripur will be led by Malik Waheed. They will reach Hazara interchange till 12noon.

PPP leader says procession of 3,000 vehicles to reach Islamabad from KP

The activists belonging to Dargai, Takht Bhai, Mardan and Nowshera will be led by Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha and Umer Farooq Hoti. They will reach Rashkai toll plaza till 11am.

The workers of Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Bajaur and Buner districts will be led by Humayun Khan, Bakht Baidar Khan and Akram Khan. They will reach Karnal Sher Khan interchange till 11am.

According to PPP media cell, party’s provincial general secretary Shuja Khan and information secretary Amjad Afridi during a joint meeting with office-bearers of Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat instructed

the workers to reach Hakla interchange till 1pm.

The processions of southern districts will be led by Amanul Haq, Sher Azam Wazir and Ahmad Karim Kundi.

The main procession from Hakla interchange will be led by PPP provincial president Najmuddin Khan.

However, insiders said that the party’s preparations for the march were not satisfactory as some of the office-bearers were least bothered to fulfil their responsibilities. They said that main reason of delay in preparations was internal rift in the party in different districts of the province.

They said PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had time and again instructed the provincial leadership to complete reorganisation process within one month but no proper attention was paid to the issue.

Sources said that proof of differences in the party was poor result in the first phase of local government elections.

They said that party tickets were awarded against the will of local workers and they in reaction did not support the party’s nominees.

They said that the result of second phase of local government elections would be same as the rich tickets holders had no access to workers.

PPP provincial senior vice-president Syed Ayub Shah, however, claimed that the preparations were completed and a procession of at least 3,000 vehicles from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would join the long march.

He said that differences in political parties were common but PPP had roots in masses.

He said that provincial leadership of the party was making efforts to strengthen the party. He added that the reorganisation process needed to be expedited.

On the instructions of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, a delegation of PPP headed by provincial president Najmuddin Khan visited the residence of provincial deputy information secretary Syed Tahir Abbas to condole the demise of his relatives.

Some other senior leaders including MNA Sajid Turi and Ghani Gul Mehsud also accompanied the provincial president and expressed sympathies with the relatives of those, who had lost lives in Koocha Risaldar blast.

They asked for immediate steps to eradicate terrorism and ensure protection to lives of people.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2022