Reorganising PTI: One province, four leaders

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided to appoint four regional presidents as a temporary organisational structure in the absence of party offices dissolved in anticipation of intra-party elections which were later postponed.

The PTI chairman has announced indefinite postponement of the intra-party polls, saying there is a need to focus on the Panama Papers controversy.

A series of meetings of the Core Group on the organisational structure of the party were held recently in Islamabad, the most recent ended on Tuesday night.

The group consists of party’s central and provincial leaders including Jahanger Tareen, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, Ishaq Khakwani, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Chauhdry Sarwar, Ejaz Chaudhry, Shafqat Mahmood and Aleem Khan. The group was deliberating on how to reorganise the party in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The group decided to appoint regional presidents in the Punjab. Nominations for the posts are being considered.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Ejaz Chaudhry said the decision had been made to ensure better management of the party.

“Direct nomination of presidents as well as general secretaries will be proposed by the group for the four regions of Punjab,” he said.

Chaudhry is advocating consensus on appointments. “We don’t want any controversy, especially when the party has to focus on other important matters,” he said.

Chaudhry said the party should be strengthened through a formal organisational structure to avoid any schisms.

He said the group was considering proposals naming office bearers other than those who were contesting the intra-party elections.

The Core Group was to present its recommendations in a late night meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

The group will focus on developing consensus on nominations for regional heads in the Punjab. The party chairman will take a decision on the final proposals.

Leader of Opposition in the Provincial Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said the group was also holding talks with other party leaders to develop consensus over the new appointments.

“In the Punjab, once the regional heads have been appointed, district leaders will be appointed by regional committees,” he said.

He said the regional heads would directly report to the centre.

He said in KP, the party was considering appointing three regional heads. Rasheed said if there was agreement on the nominations, announcements could be made within a day.

“Otherwise, the matter could take another week,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2016.