The PPP held intra-party polls at the Central Secretariat in the federal capital.
Humayun Khan was elected as party’s secretary general for four years while Nadeem Afzal Gondal (Chan) as information secretary for the same period.
Similarly, Amna Piracha was elected as finance secretary for four years. The office-bearers of the PPP were elected in accordance with the party’s constitution.
From who won and when the elections took place, to how the news was reported in the media – almost all party leaders in Punjab that The Express Tribune spoke to appeared largely unaware of the intra-party.
According to the official notification, the elections were held in Islamabad. However, several senior party leadersat least from Punjabremained completely unaware of the development. Those who were aware said they had learned about it through social media. None of the leaders could say who the candidates were or whether the winners had faced any opposition or were elected unopposed. Nearly all expressed disappointment over not even being informed about the date of the election.
Nadeem Afzal Chan, who himself was among the winners, told The Express Tribune that he had submitted his nomination papers. However, when asked how he found out about the election results, he admitted he wasn’t fully aware. Asked whether the elections were contested or if all candidates were elected unopposed, he said he did not have that information. “I’ll have to visit the party office to find out what actually happened,” he remarked. He added that electoral rolls had been prepared, including district-wise lists and allotted voter numbers.
A senior party leader from Punjab, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was unaware of both the intra-party elections and their outcome, learning about them only during the phone call. He recalled that some time ago, the media had reported the formation of a three-member election commission and that the party chairman had directed elections be held within five weeks. However, no timeline or schedule was ever communicated to them, he said. While the chairman being re-elected multiple times was not unusual, he added, the “absence of proper elections for other key positions marked a new low for the PPP”.
He claimed that the newly elected information secretary, Nadeem Afzal Chan, had made every effort to become the president of Central Punjab, but PPPP President Asif Ali Zardari vetoed this recommendation from party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. The leader explained that Zardari’s decision was based on Chan’s “opportunistic behavior”, particularly his move to the PTI when the PPP was in a difficult position. Despite this, the party chairman chose to appoint Chan as the information secretary.
He also noted that the chairman seemed to honour those who had switched allegiances, as evidenced by his address at the Lahore Governor House, where individuals like Manzoor Chaudary, Aitezaz Ahsan, and Nadeem Afzal Chan were invited to sit on stage with the chairman, while loyal party members and senior leaders were relegated to seats among the workers.