PTI intra-party polls: Five candidates to vie for provincial president’s slot

Party’s election commission takes action against those violating code of conduct

PESHAWAR: At least five candidates are vying for provincial president seat in the upcoming intra-party elections of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf while three others are in the race for the city district president slot.

While talking to The Express Tribune on Sunday, MPA Yaseen Khalil confirmed these developments. Khalil, who was the party’s former Peshawar district president, voiced his plan to, once again, contest the election for the seat of the party’s district president.

“The position will give me an opportunity to serve the people,” he said. “Party members would elect me on the basis of my work. People elected me as MPA as they were satisfied by his services. I hope the same will happen.”

The candidates running for the district president’s slot are Malik Jehanzeb and MPAs Yaseen Khalil and Mehmood Jan.

On the other hand, Khalid Masood, Fazal Khan and MPAs Shaukat Yousafzai, Ali Amin Gandapur and Gul Sahib Khan Khattak will contest for the provincial president’s seat. On the other hand, Amir Sohail and Sajjad Khan’s names are vying for the provincial youth president’s post.



According to the party’s election commission, the last date to register for the party’s membership is March 31.

Strict vigilance

While preparations for the polls are under way, the election commission of PTI in the province has taken action against the candidates who violated the code of conduct and campaigned for the upcoming intra party polls.

PTI K-P EC Spokesperson Sahibzada Hassan Ali told The Express Tribune action has been taken against those who have announced that they will contest elections from certain groups and panels.

He added PTI EC Secretary Khalid Zahoor Kiyani had earlier ordered these candidates to publicly announce their disassociation from such groups within seven days or else, last week.

Kiyani had threatened disciplinary action against such candidates, saying they would be disqualified.

A notice was issued to PTI MPA Gul Sahib Khan Khattak on March 7, demanding an explanation regarding the violation of the code of conduct issued by the EC, the spokesperson said.

However, Khattak replied to the show-cause notice on March 9. He told PTI EC he was unaware of the code of conduct.

A copy of the letter is available with The Express Tribune. Khattak had mentioned in the letter was he was in Saudi Arabia for Umrah and the very next day after his return he attended a workers convention in Swat. “I was completely unaware of any code of conduct by the EC regarding campaigning,” the letter quoted Khattak as saying.

The EC accepted Khattak’s reply and has allowed him to contest the elections for the seat of the provincial president.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st,  2016.