NOWSHERA: Pakistan People`s Party (PPP) central leadership has given a free hand to district president Eng Tariq Khattak to exercise his authority in the party`s matters, according to sources.

They said that PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari also approved the decision taken by Mr Khattak a month ago about formation of district cabinet of the party.

Sources said that Mr Khattak complained to Mr Zardari during a meeting in Islamabad onSaturday that some PPP leaders including former provincial president Sardar Ali Khan and provincial information secretary Laiquat Shabab were creating problems for him in running party`s affairs in the district.

Several officer-bearers of PPP belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were present in the meeting, they said. They added Mr Zardari gave free hand to Nowshera PPP president to excise full authority in the party`s matters and warned other leaders that leg pulling would be not acceptable in the future.

The differences among PPP workers in Nowshera became visible when two different functions were held to mark 85th anniversary of late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

One of the functions was addressed by PPP provincial presi-dent Khanzada Khan that was also attended by provincial general secretary Humayun Khan.

The other function was addressed by Tariq Khattak, PPP veteran leader Mir Khaider Lala, Mian Feroz Jamal Kakakhel and former federal minister Mian Muzzafar Shah.

`Interestingly, PPP provincial president did not bother to visit the venue of other function. The PPP workers present there were expecting him to visit them as he is provincial president of the party,` sources said.

They said that Mr Zardari also made it clear that new provincial cabinet of PPP would be formed.

`The new cabinet of PPP at provincial level will be formed after a consensus is developed among district presidents of the party across the province,` sources added.They said that Mr Zardari had already formed a three-member committee comprising Khanzada Khan, Raza Rabbani, and Pervez Asharraf to resolve internal issues of the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. `The party would be made stronger by removing grievances of workers, they added.

The three-member committee is also empowered to decide about making alliance with other political parties for the upcoming local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Khattak, when contacted, confirmed that Mr Zardari gave him free hand to run the party`s matters in the district and approved the names of his cabinet members.

`I am empowered to run the party in the district. No one can bring change in my cabinet,` he said.