Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will contest Punjab’s local bodies elections with full vigour, directing his leaders to kick into high gear in an effort to cement the party’s sway in the province.
The premier, while chairing the Central Executive Committee’s (CEC) meeting, decided to crank up the speed and mobilise people at the grassroots level. He directed the party leadership to brace for the crunch time in run-up to the local bodies polls.
PM Imran said that the people of Pakistan have “no better option than the PTI”. Sources said that the meeting also discussed the distribution of tickets during the elections and considered recommendations for mayors in major cities.
Referring to the opposition’s renewed joint efforts to oust the ruling party, PM Imran laced into the ruling party’s political rivals and deplored that the “corrupt gang” was pursuing the politics of “personal interests”.
He said there are open-and-shut corruption cases against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. “Keeping mum on their corruption would be criminal,” he asserted.
In addition, the premier while reviewing the preparations already made, directed the party officials to chalk out a schedule of public gatherings.
Apparently, PM Imran’s directions have come after the PTI lost the first phase of local government elections to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
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The PM had also blamed the selection of wrong candidates for the party’s defeat in the LG polls, expressing the hope that PTI would bounce back with strength in the second phase.
In a press conference, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said the premier had formed a 21-member committee comprising senior leaders of the party and tasked it with restructuring and formulating a new party constitution.
It was decided back then that the committee would devise a mechanism for the awarding of tickets to candidates, but the premier himself would give the final approval.
A day after dissolving the party’s organizational structure across the country, PM had nominated new office-bearers at the central and provincial levels.
He, in his capacity as chairman of the party, had appointed the federal minister for planning and development, Asad Umar, as central secretary general in place of MNA Aamer Mehmood Kiani, who was made additional secretary general.
In Monday’s CEC meeting, PM emphasised that the organizational structure of the party should be organized for the LG polls, saying the workers were a valuable asset of the party.
He reiterated in the meeting that tickets will be distributed on merit in Punjab LG elections and it would be ensured that PTI officials are not contesting against each other just the way they did it in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
A party official quoted PM saying that “PTI is a popular party of the country, it will enter in the field with full force and people have no better option than PTI”. Apart from discussing LG polls, the official added that PM briefed the party leadership about his visit to China with directions to highlight the success of the visit to China.
PM to visit Balochistan
Meanwhile, PM will visit Balochistan on Tuesday to boost the morale of the troops, a day after the army completed an operation against terrorists in the province. Sources said that PM will also visit the Noshki area of Balochistan where he will be briefed about the operation against terrorists.
PM will meet Balochistan chief minister and the governor in Quetta and will preside over a meeting on security issues. Also, PM will be briefed about the development projects of Balochistan, review the Balochistan development package. Due to the visit, officials conjectured that the weekly meeting of the federal cabinet was likely to be postponed.
(WITH INPUT FROM APP)
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