Amid haggling, PTI delays intra-party elections
Differences in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) party cadres have reportedly led chairman Imran Khan to indefinitely delay intra-party elections, according to some sources.
To justify his decision, the PTI chairman has extended the party’s ongoing membership campaign, without setting a clear deadline for its conclusion.
“Imran assented to the point of view of two party leaders, who had asked the PTI chief to first prepare for the general elections,” said a party leader while talking to The Express Tribune.
According to sources, party president Javed Hashmi and Additional Secretary General Saifullah Niazi, as well as some influential members of the steering committee, had recommended ‘putting off party elections’ for now.
Earlier, Imran had dissolved all regional bodies by constituting regional steering committees in all the provinces, a move that aimed to pave way for holding party elections.
However, the party’s top leadership held many meetings to resolve all outstanding issues but failed to generate an agreement to hold intra-party polls before the next general elections.
“PTI is unlikely to hold elections at the council level before the general elections,” said one of the sources.
New inductees into the party, especially Sikander Hayat Bosan and Javed Hashmi, had advised Imran Khan to focus on the next general elections first.
While talking to The Express Tribune, Bosan said that he had opposed the idea of holding intra-party polls first, since that would take the focus away from the challenge of the general elections.
On the other hand, some leaders from the old guard had wanted intra-party elections to precede the general elections.
Party hierarchy
According to sources, there were serious differences among the echelons of the party leadership over the exact framework to be followed in formulating a party hierarchy as well.
Party leaders including Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali, Sikandar Bosan, Jamal Khan Leghari, Mian Azhar and Mian Mehmood Rashid had conveyed their concerns, highlighting the fact that they had not been given any party office as yet.
They had also opposed direct nomination of seven new senior vice presidents as well as a president without holding appropriate consultations.
“The decision not to hold party elections was based on the fact that the party’s constitutional document is still being studied by its legal attorneys,” said a senior leader, while talking to The Express Tribune.
When asked to comment, Khursheed Kasuri dismissed these differences as trivial, adding that all emerging parties undergo such challenges.
“The PTI is an emerging political party so differences are a part of the democratic cycle,” he pointed out.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 18th, 2012.
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Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI (twitter) I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward.
Apologies and fair journalism please, ET? :).
In March when ET said quoted a "PTI insider" as saying elections would not be held until general elections, PTI supporters were up in arms accusing ET of yellow journalism. They said Imran had said he would hold elections in 3 months come what may.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/355060/party-elections-pti-delays-organisational-structuring/
Well, now here we are 3 months later and we find that the membership drive itself is extended indefinitely and internal elections are supposed to be held 3 minutes after the membership drive is completed so message is on the wall.
This gives you an idea of what should be expected from other 90 days promises that Imran has been making.
PTI is nothing more than the past PNA and IJI, however it becomes orphan after Shuja Pasha. We found the PTI leader and proponents criticizing the PPP,PMLN, MQM etc. But for god sake tell me why you are good enough to have my confidence and vote. Kaptaan used to change his words too often, what's the difference then? What about the case against Altaf bhai? Its a bandwagon effect my friends, totally irrational. I already said that 90 days slogan is nothing more than a comic. Stay blessed!!!
Imran Khan's statements on intra-party elections, membership drive and this stupid tsunami have become a joke. The man who can't run his party properly inspite of having complete and unquestioned power in the party, is claiming that he'll fix the country. No wonder he has been in politics for 16 years and hasn't achieved anything.
PTI has strongly refuted this statement. The elections would go on as scheduled.
Please note: I am not a member of PTI neither am I speaking on their behalf. Just saw it on social media :)
@hamidik.:
"‘elections’ khan afraid of!" .
IK's party which professes to be democratic, it would entail that the life time party head, should step aside and offer his post for a voting contest. Too damn risky. . Democracy is just a word, without any content.
imran please resolve these issues as soon as possible because we are anxiously waiting for tsunami march and the if party elections are not held then this will damage our party workers hearts so please do it
Imran clears the air. In his message on twitter, he said elections will be held in time to clear all the rumors. Will ET apologize for this yellow journalism.
Just read Imran Khan's personal tweet! Nothing has been postponed! @ImranKhanPTI I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward.
Stop please!! PTI has already denied this rumor, check their website.....
I remember IK challenging a famous anchor on his show last month that if he doesn't hold party elections within 90 days, he can blame IK for creating false hopes of eliminating corruption in 90 days too etc. I guess brave Khan was so true. So now all the claims made by IK are just smoke in the air and he can be pressured every time he makes a decision on one excuse or the other. It looks like tsunami is getting bigger and bigger each day
@adeel: you are right- IK reply: I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward. https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/214677709203320833
Denied by IK on twitter. Another nothing story :)
ImranKhan tweets: "I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward."
What exactly is ET problem. Explain pls. :)
Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI (twitter)
I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward.
Yet another false story about PTI published by you. Pathetic
@Iram oh & MQM just held intra-party elections yesterday. Just saying :-)
@Iram What have you been smoking? MQM is not a "family party"! It is the only party which has fielded young educated middle class candidates & sent them to the assemblies. PTI is still in the process of emerging as a political party & has not secured any seats as yet but MQM has. MQM welcomes other parties which are against birth-rate politics & nepotism. So please be careful with your accusations.
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/214677709203320833
guys there you go.. ET .. you could have done the homework prior to posting the news.. 'jab koi tumharay pass koi khabar lay karr aye to khoob teqiq kar lia karo..." ....
This is just a false rumour. Imran Khan and other leaders of PTI confirmed through twitter that there is no plan of delaying party elections. They will be held on time.
@ Iram ... Since when MQM is family party ?
again ET with its endless propaganda against the pti, this is a tweet that just came from IK himself:
"I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward."
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/214677709203320833
Its an start of differences which will lead to serious problems. Most of the insincere, non ideological power hungry politicians left parties to join PTI not to change the fate of Pakistan but to ensure their political intake for few years. Most of them are power hungry so too many cooks spoil the broth.
ha ha ha ha......these elections are NEVER going to be held.
Wake up you PTI supporters!
Ok, PPP and PLM(N) supporters should not even comment on this issue. Because party elections are alien concept for them and I am very very sure they don't know anything about it. When the news item is discussing next in line to "thrones" of PPP and PLM(N), junior Gilanis, Zaradaris and Sharifs then they are free to comment.
Then what is this ET?
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/214677709203320833
"I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward. IK twitted."
https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/214677709203320833
So ET not publishing news, but making news itself.
Imran Khan official facebook page :
Imran Khan (official) I want to categorically END all rumours of PTI elections being postponed. In fact I'm trying to bring them forward.
When will E.T stops its propaganda against PTI and Imran Khan ?
This is real test for imran that how he will handle the differences between new and old leadership of party. People like me are still in doubt to support imran because today's PTI is very different than the old one which was acceptable to every one without any doubt.
Imran Khan @ImranKhanPTI on Twitter
I want to categorically end all rumours of pti elections being postponed. In fact trying to bring them forward.
Totally baseless report! Imran Khan has cleared on twitter that this report is wrong. ET should apologize for this baseless report.
Imran khan has categorically denied this on twitter. I wonder why ET always plants stories about PTI maligning and degrading its leader and the party.
Asad Umar denied this report on twitter. Why not tribune just make a little effort and consult PTI officials to confirm any report. Why they always indulge some kind of conspiracy theory. They usually blame rightest religious parties for this trend, and time and again themselves proven that they are no different.
Turning out to like all other parties
Now boycott your own intra-party election. Boycott elections - this is what PTI has been doing since its inception.
Party Elections should be conducted soon which will be a preparation for next years' general elections.
If a person can not hold election in a small party, how can he handle the whole country which is full of problems... PML(N) has already completed its election process.... PTI is only thinking about election and PML(N) has done. That's the difference of 90 days sologan. IK says he will remove the corruption in 90 days, he can not hold party election in 90 days, how can he remove the corruption in 90 days. Power politicians has hijacked the party like Shah Mehmood qureshi and Javed Hashmi, Laghari Brothers, Jahangir Tareen...etc. etc.
@ Iram: .....PTI appreciate difference of opinion as it is not a family party like PMLN, PPP or MQM..... Please take MQM out of your allegations. Moreover, its better if you dont point out at PML (N) or PPP rather more concentratre on PTI's agenda (if its not cricism only)
"Party leaders including Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri, Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali, Sikandar Bosan, Jamal Khan Leghari, Mian Azhar and Mian Mehmood Rashid had conveyed their concerns, highlighting the fact that they had not been given any party office as yet."
All of them are not old opportunists, IK should ignore whatever they say, they can't survive with justice anyways
Party election few months before general elections is a wrong move. And the idea of members electing MNA/MPA candidates is also naïve; the ‘big guns’ didn’t join PTI only to get rejected by the lower members.
Kaptaan saab is beginning to realize that politics is very different from leading a cricket team. He talked about revolution in Pakistani politics by being the first party to hold internal elections. Where is it now? Is this the way his other promises will go too? Kaptaan saab, talk is cheap. It is getting things done that is difficult. You cannot hold elections within your party and you want to bring inquilab in Pakistan? Get real and take a trip to England. It is easier.
Investigation should be done!
The true reason for the delay is Imran Khan does not believe in democracey So there is nothing wrong in delay One example Call for MOB RULE to solve load sheddingWell i am all for party elections as according to me someone should start this thing in Pakistan but there are some points which are valid which for one that elections are very near and it would be right to focus on it rather the internal election . .so for me it is 50/50
@AS:
"no need to worry it is common with sir IK to change stances" . The thing to worry is, if Riaz (Theykedaar) Malik does not change his stance and reveals more names of persons he has been helping out financially.
PTI should move ahead with intra party election and set the precedent for others to folllow.
I wish that PTI will win the next general elections because I want to see them to solve everything within 90 days. To claim and to believe is much easier than to act. So all the proponents of IK, be ready for the criticism as nothing would be going to change. PTI comprises of all the sidelined politicians of other parties which we used to criticize. Politics is the game of compromises, hardliners have no space except for their own.
If the report is to be believed then I think IK have got the first taste of realities, which are far different from his speeches.
'elections' khan afraid of!
seems like a good decision keeping in view extremely fluid and volatile political situation. focus should be to ensure that free and fair general elections take place.
no need to worry it is common with sir IK to change stances
Party elections or not, we still support PTI because it is our last hope.
Differences can exist, you can all it a part of a democratic political party. But the leader should always take the charge in the case he notices that party is not working in the direction as to meet the vision and the mission. Dear Imran, your supporters have faith in you. Be the one-man-show if it works.
PTI MUST go for intra party elections at any cost. It should set the values of a true democractic culture whatever is the price The begining is difficult at times but as soon as the process starts, it keeps going on
Imran Khan has to be sure so well done
Though it seems not a good decision but good luck for PTI
On the other hand. PTI away from the Pakistan's problems,, why,,??
Imran has never been scared of anything. When he delayed Quetta Jalsa, same people cheered up for a victory. But time has proved this several times that he is never scared of anything and he would do it no matter what happens later. Anyway this is party's internal matter. They will deal with it soon. InshaAllah Imran Khan will give Pakistan a real Politicial Party rather than Family Businesses.
Imran is introducing Pakistan to the concept of the stretchable 90 days. To begin with the 90 days membership drive which was to be followed by elections for every party post has been delayed sine-die. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya.
Election results like all other parties IK is the party chief for life, that completes the election process. The new comers came to cash in not start the party elections, which are the last thing in mind. Power and govt first then everything else later. What is the difference among the rightwing parties?
In PTI all decisions are made with consultation and consensus, PTI appreciate difference of opinion as it is not a family party like PMLN, PPP or MQM.
Not only vote but support for PTI.
I think the only way to move forward for PTI is to have party elections. BTW the report has not mentioned the name of any official therefore, it is hard to believe. It will be better if tribune report with reference to some known official.