PTI ‘likeminded group’ eyes Senate seat

A group of 15 members of Punjab Assembly belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has raised concerns over being neglected in the provincial cabinet expansion and also demanded a seat in the coming Senate elections.

The demand was made at a meeting of the PTI Humkhayal (like-minded) group at the residence of Punjab Assembly Member Taimur Lali on Tuesday. The group demanded that the reservations of its members should be addressed and the nomination of a candidate in the Senate elections should be made from their constituencies in the interest of the party and voters.

It was decided in the meeting that the group would play its full political role inside and outside the parliamentary party and the assembly.

It was decided that the issue of unequal distribution of funds at the district level would be raised in the next session of the Punjab Assembly. The members of the group will demand funds for all the districts on the basis of population under the Provincial Finance Award.

No member of the group is in the provincial cabinet.

The group's members met the Chief Minister's Principal Secretary Tahir Khurshid and informed him of their concerns. The official assured them that the concerns and demands would be brought to the notice of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. According to sources, members of group are likely to meet Chief Minister Usman Buzdar after his recovery from coronavirus.

Two members of the group could not attend the meeting. Bilal Asghar Waraich was unwell and Ali Raza Khakwani had to attend a close relative's wedding. However, they supported the decisions of the meeting. The 15 members swore to remain together in their decisions.

Khuwaja Dawood Sulemani from Taunsa and Gulraiz Afzal Chun from Mandi Bahauddin complained the most about their constituencies being ignored.

The group also reportedly wants the nomination of Chun as chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee for Punjab Assembly. He is currently a member of Public Accounts Committee II. Syed Yawar Bukhari, who is Chairman of committee, has been included in the provincial cabinet.

The participants demanded that the group should be consulted before nominating the party candidates for the Senate from Punjab.

When contacted, the group's leader Ghazanfar Abbas Cheena said all its members were committed to protecting the interests of their constituencies while remaining within the party. It was decided in the meeting that if any member of the group wanted to be a candidate for the Senate, he would have the right to do so. However, more than one member wished to contest then the decision would be taken by toss. The father or brother of any member of the group may also be a candidate for the Senate. An application in this regard will be submitted to the parliamentary board of PTI.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2020.