Islamabad - Pakistan People’s Party Islamabad chapter has failed to find candidates for the upcoming local government elections due to rifts and differences among local leadership, The Nation learnt yesterday.
It would be the first time that LG elections are going to be held in the federal capital. Sources told The Nation that PPP received only 15 to 17 ticket applications for the slot of union council chairman out of the 50 union councils.
Sources revealed that a meeting of PPP Islamabad chapter was held at PPP Central Secretariat regarding issuance of tickets to party candidates last week and the meeting was attended by PPP District President Sibtul Haider Shah, PPP Divisional President Imran Ashraf and Islamabad-based PPP senior leader Nargis Faiz Malik, Secretary General PPP Punjab Tanveer Asharf Kaira and PPP city president Faisal Sakhi Butt.
The local leadership of PPP discussed the party strategy for the upcoming election. However, former advisor to the prime minister and one of main stakeholders of PPP in LG polls, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar did not attend this important meeting.
Sources said Nargis boycotted the meeting over development of differences with other leaders on the issue of awarding party ticket stating, “She will launch a formal protest with PPP top leadership on the issue.”
The sources also disclosed that rifts surfaced between the district president and city president over the issuance of tickets to PPP diehard worker Tariq Ameen for the chairmanship of Union Council-35 of Islamabad city.
It was learnt that Sibtul Haider issued the ticket to Tariq Ameen but Faisal Sakhi Butt cancelled the ticket without consulting the district president. After cancellation of the party ticket, Tariq decided to contest election as an independent candidate, sources said.
The sources further revealed that key players of Islamabad PPP chapter including Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Faisal Sakhi Butt and Sibtul Haider Shah have not met even a single time to plan party’s election strategy.
It is worth mentioning here that since 2013 General elections both Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Faisal Sakhi Butt have remained aloof from party affairs and used to avoid party routine meetings at Central Secretariat. Sources said that key players of PPP Islamabad are supporting independent candidates in their respective areas.
Earlier, Butt, Khokhar and Haider were present in the meeting, which was chaired by PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, regarding Islamabad LG polls at Zardari House a few months ago.
The local leadership had ensured the PPP co-chairman that they would participate in Islamabad LG polls actively and perform their role to secure victory.
Talking to The Nation, Sibtul Haider said the PPP will go in elections with full spirit. He said the PPP will issue tickets in most of the union councils and nominate a few candidates as independent in other UCs. He admitted he had issued the party ticket to Tariq Ameen but the city president cancelled the ticket later on some misunderstanding.
He said the PPP will perform better in the federal capital as compared to Punjab and KP.