Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) district Peshawar chapter began its ‘Dastak Campaign’ to bring disillusioned workers back within its fold to bring more coherence in the party. During the week-long campaign, newly-elected PML-N city district Peshawar office bearers would visit former party activists, including families who had been part of the Pakistan Movement, but remained in oblivion due to lack of contact from PML-N leaders.
An incumbent PML-N office bearer told Pakistan Today, “A number of active PML-N workers in Peshawar have took the back seat because they saw local PML-N leaders as too close to the Awami National Party (ANP).” He said old PML stalwarts including Rauf Seemab, Salar Momand, family members of Begum Rahat, Salamat Qureshi, Malak Ashraf, Noor Ilahi, Mehr Ilahi and an 85 years old Tahir Saddique (an active participant in Pakistan Movement), had been silenced by the lack of contact and ‘certain’ other reasons.
PML-N used to hold Peshawar its stronghold in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PML-N youth wing Central Secretary Information Khadim Ali Khan confirming the ‘Dastak Campaign’ said, “It is meant to reactivate and bring back old party ‘assets’ that had become inactive for one reason or another.”
PML-N Peshawar officer bearers including President Malik Zulfiqar, General Secretary Muhammad Imran and Arshad Qureshi said the ‘Dastak Campaign’ would help create coherence among the party ranks, since feedback has a positive role. The office bearers visited Hussain Abad, Gul Bahar, Karimpura, Jehangir Abad and the old city to make contact with each disillusioned party member.
They said the aim is to make Peshawar a PNL-N stronghold again and the party could not begin the task without bringing back old stalwarts.
The week long contact campaign from 4-10 September would end with the initiation of the week long program, ‘Ashra Taqribat-i-Quaid-i-Azam’, from September 11-18.
On 11th September, Quaid-i-Azam death anniversary would be observed, followed by a three day book exhibition on the Pakistan Movement arranged by the PML-N Peshawar chapter. This will be followed by seminars of Muslim Students Federation and the PML-N Women’s Wing. The PML-N Peshawar chapter leadership shall bring together old stalwarts on the 18th of September to attempt to sort out difference between members.
