One cannot ignore the fact the party leadership had enthusiastically welcomed a member without any prior research
KARACHI: If there is one political party that cannot stay away from controversy, it is the PTI. This time it is in the limelight for giving a party ticket to a convicted rapist, Farooq Bandial.
In 1979, Bandial was accused of robbery and raping a former film star and sentenced to death by a military court. But owing to pressure from influential landlords who later managed the case, the survivor forgave Bandial and the co-accused and shifted to Bangladesh.
While it is admirable that once social media users raised their voice against Bandial joining the party Imran Khan set up an inquiry committee that led to his expulsion, one cannot ignore the fact the party leadership had enthusiastically welcomed a member without having done any prior research on the individual’s credentials. Was the fact that Bandial came with immense wealth enough for him to be granted a party ticket? If that indeed is the PTI’s criteria for selecting members then one is left to wonder how many criminals does the party have, as not all of them are connected to a high-profile case like that of Bandial.
Hussain Ali Raza
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2018.
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