PTI loyalists claim ignored for electoral tickets

PTI issues list of the candidates representing PTI in next general polls, causing a wave of resentment to surface

PESHAWAR: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) issue list of the candidates who will be representing PTI in next general polls, a wave of resentment has surfaced which, will soon have an impact on the recent decisions, as evident from what is happening on the ground.

These were not only party loyalists, former provincial and national assembly members but PTI’s backbone, the youth, have stood against the parliamentary board over unjust distribution of party tickets and ignoring founding Insaf Student Federation (ISF) and Insaf Youth Wing (ISW) member Mina Khan Afridi, a member of the district Peshawar assembly.



“No one should think he can win election. The votes are cast for Imran Khan,” ISF ex-president Sajjad Afridi shared a vide message on social media website Facebook.

“These people - Parvez Khattak, Atif, Asad Qaisar, Shah Faram and Fazal [referring to Fazal-e-Ilahi] - can never win and if the really feel they can win, I dare them to contest polls as independent candidate and then we will see,” Afridi shared and warned that is Mina Khan was not issued a ticket the parliamentary board will be welcomed with eggs and tomatoes.

For National Assembly slots from Peshawar, only former information minister Shah Farman was awarded a ticket amongst party loyalists. Others who were awarded tickets had recently joined the party from either PPP or ANP.

Disgruntled party members claimed that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had backtracked from his earlier claims of opting for fresh faces and the youth in awarding tickets and had instead handed a shot to ‘electables’ to retain a hold over the province where the party had ruled for five years.



PTI founding members Zahid Mohmand told The Express Tribune that every PTI ticket holder for the July 25 general elections is facing a PTI candidate who has decided to contest as an independent candidate. This, he warned, would divide their votes and ultimately benefit competing parties.

Gul Sahib Khan, who had been elected from PK-85 (formerly called PK-40) of District was allegedly ignored this time around, in favour of ANP stalwart Farid Toofan. Similarly, disgruntled PTI member Amjad Afridi from Kohat was also ignored.

As the issue of awarding party tickets for next general polls deepens, many party office bearers have been tendering their resignations. Not only on local but district level leadership have also submitted their resignations.

“We do not accept this unjust distribution of tickets, Ideological workers have been totally ignored,” PTI Peshawar senior vice president Akhunzada Irfan informed media persons adding workers will be consulted for future course of action.

Shaukat Yousafzai, Sheryar Afridi and many former members of provincial and national legislatures were not available for their comments on distribution of party tickets for next general polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2018.