MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 1 Local Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders as well as some elected representatives have accused MNA Jamshed Dasti of interfering in the affairs of other MNAs and MPAs and also uttering speeches against a state minister in what they allege “sheer violation of party discipline.”

Dasti, who returned to the National Assembly from NA-178 and was elected chairman of the NA standing committee on sports, hit the headlines after he summoned Pakistan Cricket Board officials and the skipper to explain 'poor' performance in Champions Trophy in South Africa last year.

A meeting of party officials was held at the residence of PPP district information secretary Mazhar Pahore on Thursday which was attended by Malik Noor Rabbani Khar, the father of state minister for finance Hina Rabbani Khar, who returned to the parliament's lower house from NA-177, MPA Engineer Bilal Khar, MPA Irshad Sial and district vice-president Allah Bakhsh beside tens of workers.

Though PPP district president Mian Mohsin Ali Qureshi returned to the National Assembly from NA-176 in the February 2008 general elections, he is confined to bed in a capital hospital after suffering from brain hemorrhage and is virtually unavailable to attend to his electorate.

A few weeks ago, Jamshed Dasti held public meetings in Mahmood Kot and Kot Addu which fall in NA-176 and NA-177, respectively, and allegedly uttered remarks against state minister Hina Khar.

Rabbani Khar, also a former MNA, said that Dasti was interfering in NA-176 and NA-177 which was against party discipline. Khar said that Dasti had hurled insults at him by clamoring that he (Rabbani) would join the PML-N. Rabbani called Dasti's remarks frivolous accusation and said that he would die in PPP harness.

Rabbani said that Dasti had 'prematurely' announced that he would contest next general elections against Hina which was yet another violation of party discipline/rules.

Rabbani said that he had been an MNA twice from the constituency Dasti was representing now and it would not be an extremely difficult task for him to defeat Dasti in the next elections but he (Rabbani) would follow the party's directives in letter and spirit.

MPAs Bilal and Irshad said Dasti's attitude was unbecoming of a party loyalist and they would also raise this issue before the PPP's high-command. They said that they would recommend the PPP election board members to turn down Dasti's ticket application for the next elections.

Allah Bakhsh and Mazhar Pahore alleged that despite not being an office-bearer, Dasti was interfering in the affairs of party's district chapter.

They said that Dasti was merely an MNA and had no authority to run/oversee party matters but recently he (Dasti) announced to appoint Ashiq Baloch as PPP district president.

They said that the announcement was unauthorised as well as un-called for and what was more serious and disturbing that it was an open betrayal with MNA Mohsin Qureshi who is fighting for his life in a Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences room and appointing his successor during his (Qureshi's) lifetime was highly objectionable and ridiculous.

When Dawn contacted Dasti, he said Rabbani Khar would spend most of his times in London while his daughter in Islamabad in connection with her ominous engagements in cabinet and her ministry, leaving their electorate entirely in a lurch.

He said that owing to his accessible availability, hapless voters of NA-176 and NA-177 would often approach him to help them in their routine matters.

He said Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari had allowed him to work for party rank and file throughout the district.

He said that he was also a member of the NA's standing committee on oil and gas and in that capacity, he visited Parco and PSO offices established in areas falling in the constituency of Hina Khar.

He claimed that the people of NA-177 would vote out feudal and landlords in the next elections.

Regarding Ashiq Baloch's appointment, he said that he had made him acting-district president as a stopgap arrangement in his capacity as senior vice-president.

He said that he was head of PPP's district labour body and would attend every meeting regarding Muzaffargarh district. He said that he would readily report for duty whenever and wherever people of his district would summon him.