Mass mobilisation campaign: PTI plans to appoint regional presidents in K-P

CM is supporting Fazal Khan for president’s slot but PTI members are dissatisfied

PESHAWAR: The central leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is planning to appoint region-wise presidents in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for its mass mobilisation campaign against corruption in the country.

In May, PTI Chairperson Imran Khan postponed intra-party elections. Imran decided to restore the interim setup of intra-party members. However, the party has started preparing a country-wide mobilisation campaign to ensure accountability of Sharif family.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, a PTI official said the party’s leadership recommended appointing region presidents instead of a provincial president for the mass campaign against corruption.

Recommendations

He added four names have been recommended for regional presidents from K-P. These include Fazal Khan for Peshawar region, Ali Asghar for Hazara and Dr Amjid Khan for Malakand.



He said Imran has organised a meeting of PTI members on Wednesday (today) in which matters would be discussed for the movement.

The official added PTI members and some MPAs in Peshawar have voiced their reservations over recommending Fazal for the post and have informed the central leadership of their grievances.

Basis of merit

A PTI member, Shahzad Khan, told The Express Tribune the regional president should be appointed on merit.

“There are several members and workers who made sacrifices for the party and PTI leadership should not ignore them,” he added.

He maintained they were not against anyone and will accept all party decisions with an open heart. He hoped party leaders would appoint candidate for regional president’s post on the basis of merit.

Another PTI MPA said Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was supporting Fazal for the regional president’s slot. He said the PTI members in Peshawar were unsatisfied with Fazal’s activities in the interim setup.

He said PTI members would not support Fazal if central leadership appoints him on this post.

When contacted, PTI central media cell head Iftikhar Durrani confirmed that Imran’s will meet the party’s central leadership on Wednesday (today). “All matters regarding upcoming mass mobilisation campaign would be decided,” he added. “The party chief will finalise the names.”

He added the party was focusing on corruption in the country and they would start their movement and launch a protest campaign against it to ensure accountability.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2016.