For protest campaign: PTI may not hold intra-party polls for now

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is likely to abandon the idea of intra-party elections altogether – at least till the next general elections, and the party leadership is likely to announce an interim set-up next week.

In order to build momentum against the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the PTI has planned an agitation campaign over the next few weeks. To achieve this, the party needs its cadres to organise an aggressive protest campaign.

The solution was: put in place an interim set-up in the party, which Imran Khan is likely to notify next week.

In the interim set-up, he would notify office-bearers of different cadres who would look after affairs of their respective wings till next intra-party elections.

Earlier this year, the PTI had announced intra-party elections in May this year. Only a month before the completion of the process, the party halted the exercise on the pretext of party activity in the wake of Panamagate scandal.

However, insiders believe the reason for the abrupt end of this process was increased bickering within party ranks, especially in its Punjab chapter.

The PTI was among a few parties that introduced intra-party democracy.

Under the law, a party is allowed to take part in general elections only if it holds intra-party elections in accordance with its own constitution. Hardly a few parties – none of them among top three or four – had any tradition of organising elections within the party. The postponement was first announced on the eve of PTI’s 20th foundation day on April 24 in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2016.