Internal bickering to affect main political parties in Dir

DIR: The persistent internal bickering may affect the main political parties in the district in the fast approaching July 25 general elections. All the main political parties in Upper Dir, including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are facing rifts over ticket allocation or other issues, which has badly affected their election preparations.

Even the JI, the main political party in Upper Dir and which is known for its unity and discipline, is also facing intra-party rifts.

Two leaders of the JI, including Sahibzada Sibghatullah and former MPA Malak Hayat have already quit the party and joined the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) due to the internal differences.

Sibghatullah is contesting election from NA-5 on PTI's ticket and Malak Hayat Khan is the PML-N candidate for PK-11, Wari.

The political pundits believe the internal differences would affect the JI in Upper Dir, which had a complete clean sweep in the 2013's general elections.

In PK-10, Kohistan, Muhammad Ali, former MPA, is also facing the opposition from his party's dissenting workers and voters. They claimed the former MPA had failed to deliver and his re-election would not be in the interest of the party.

Similar is the case with the PPP. A former MPA Muhammad Anwar Khan has been sidelined by the party Upper Dir chapter and deprived of PK-12's ticket.

Though he had withdrawn his candidature, his differences with senior leader Najmuddin Khan remain. The party sources said that some of the Anwar Khan's colleagues and followers wouldn't vote to Najmuddin Khan, a candidate of the PPP from NA-5 and PK-12.

Similarly, in PK-10, Malak Badshah Saleh is also facing internal differences.

However, according to the party sources and voters, he has ended 80-90 per cent of differences with dissident local leaders and workers. The PTI, which is considered a serious threat to the JI and PPP, has also failed to resolve internal differences.

Though its workers and voters are showing a complete support for party's NA-5 candidate, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, they are divided as for as support to provincial assembly's candidates is concerned. The some workers and leaders are opposing own candidates, especially the lone woman candidate Hamida Shahid, who is contesting for PK-10.