Differences over award of PPP tickets: Zardari calls Arbab Alamgir to Karachi to resolve issue

PESHAWAR: To overcome the growing differences and resolve the issue of allotment of the party tickets, co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari has sent a plane to fly former federal minister Arbab Alamgir Khan to Karachi.

Arbab Alamgir Khan and his son Arbab Zarak had applied for the party tickets to contest election, but they didn’t appear before the parliamentary board for an interview.

Arbab Alamgir, who had been apprising the PPP central leadership about the party’s internal issues and suggesting measures to face the challenges in the upcoming election, said it was his duty to keep his leadership informed regarding the prevailing situation.

Arbab Alamgir said he intentionally did not appear before the parliamentary board as he could not tolerate any abusive behaviour toward the party or its leadership.

However, he did not mention as to who were doing so, adding he had informed the party leadership about it and would do so in future also regarding the ground realities.

The former federal minister said he had also clearly told the party leadership that they should consult him before nominating any candidate on the provincial assembly seats that are part of his National Assembly constituency in Peshawar.

He said candidates recommended by him for the provincial assembly seats might not win the election, but they would at least not work against him or his party in the polls.

Regarding Arbab Zarak’s nomination, Arbab Alamgir posed a counter question as to who else should be allotted the PPP ticket if not his son on that constituency.

He said the PPP would not field mere candidates but “we would have to win the elections.” He said the recent delimitation had divided his previous constituency NA-2 into two parts where he had his personal following and votes.

Without naming anyone, he said there were some individuals in the parliamentary board who do not know about the Peshawar constituencies and the choices they make would not benefit the party’s candidates.

He recalled that Asif Zardari had already nominated her wife Asma Alamgir to contest for NA-29 Peshawar much before the formation of the parliamentary board in the presence of party leaders and she was sure to win it with the support of party workers and well-wishers.