Intra-party polls: PTI offices set to be dissolved today

A membership drive will be launched for eight to 10 weeks

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) party offices will be dissolved on Friday (today) as the party prepares for its second intra-party elections.

Candidates in the run for Punjab president are tight-lipped about their campaigns as they await announcement of the election schedule and the procedure by the party’s election commission.

The commission has announced that there will be a membership campaign for eight to 10 weeks after which the intra-party elections will be held. Last week, the commission had announced that the elections would be held three months after dissolution of party offices.

Besides Chaudhry Sarwar, Ejaz Chaudhry, Waleed Iqbal and Aleem Khan, two more contenders - Omar Sarfaraz Cheema and Hamid Khan – are now rumoured to be interested in the top Punjab post.

Sarwar has been the centre of some controversy over the past few days. He has been accused of misusing the party office ahead of intra-party elections, something he denies. Sarwar has also had to deny rumours that he is leaving the party.

The latest in this series was a question of his eligibility to run for a party office having held a public post less than two years ago.

Insiders say that Sarwar himself made the inquiry, adding that a final ruling in this regard is yet to be made.

Former PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry also intends to run for the top slot. He had to relinquish his post in May last year as part of party’s decision to dissolve all offices elected during its first intra-party elections in 2013.

Waleed Iqbal, PTI candidate for NA-124 for the 2013 general election, also revealed his intention to contest the elections while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Aleem Khan, PTI’s former Lahore president and the party’s candidate for the by-polls in NA-122, held a meeting with party members including MPAs Mian Aslam Iqbal and Shoaib Siddiqi on Thursday in which party elections were also discussed.

This was his first public meeting on the subject. Khan, however, has largely remained mum on the subject, though party insiders say he intends to take part in the elections.

Hamid Khan, one of the most vocal voices within the party calling for new elections in the wake of Justice Wajih’s report has also stepped in the electoral battle by forming his group called the Workers’ Ittehad.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Khan said the aim was to mainstream all those workers who had been sidelined by corrupt elements within the party.

He denied reports of the group having nominated any person for any post for the elections.

“We are still in the process of bringing like-minded workers of the party together…any announcement of candidates will be made after consultations,” he added.

Punjab deputy organiser Omar Sarfaraz Cheema is one of the latest additions to the race.

Cheema had held a meeting with other party leaders including Jamshed Cheema last weekend to discuss the intra-party elections. Talking to The Express Tribune, Cheema confirmed his intentions to contest in the polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2016.