In his first public appearance since his appointment as provincial chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) , Anwar Saifullah Khan ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance in the next general elections.
Saifuallah, who was appointed as the party’s provincial president on Sunday, spoke to journalists at the residence of provincial minister Rahimdad Khan, following a meeting with senior PPP leaders.
“During the past four and half years, the PPP has acted as the junior partner in the ruling coalition. I want to see my party in the driving seat after the next elections,” he said, while hinting at a possibility of seat-adjustments.
As expected, Saifullah delineated his plans for strengthening the PPP in the province, which is marred by internal differences over the alliance with the Awami National Party, as well some other issues.
The provincial cabinet of the PPP will be announced in a few days and the party will be restructured at the district level after consulting other party members, said Saifullah, while explaining his efforts so far.
He added that the party has formed four regional committees for Hazara, Peshawar, Malakand and the southern districts, adding that office bearers will be appointed in every district.
Anwar Saifullah who was living in Islamabad, said that he will be residing in Peshawar from now on. A convention of party workers, MPAs and ministers will also be held in the provincial capital to improve management of the party.
“All the ministers from the PPP have been asked to give two days a week to party workers: a day in their own constituency and another day in any other district,” he said, while stressing the need to address the problem of party members.
“The party secretariat will also be functioning regularly with ministers serving there” added Saifullah. “If someone’s performance has not been good, we will look for alternates.”
Saifullah announced that he will also visit all districts of the province by the end of this month while the party’s general secretary will be appointed in the next few days.
He added that the party had to put up with coalition partners and it curtails its power to deliver. He said that he will remove the preception that PPP is a subordinate to the ANP in the ruling coalition.
The PPP leader further said that he will attend a public address on Friday in Dera Ismail Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2012.