PHOTO: FILE
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) kicked off its election campaign in Hazara division after Imran Khan’s address on March 10, marking the end of intra-party elections.
Although the ticket-awarding process has yet to begin, candidates who are optimistic of representing the party are making frequent visits to elders of different tribes and influential figures who could help win votes.
The party might still face challenges in Hazara, especially Haripur district, during the polls due to internal differences, despite schmoosing for influence and, what political observers say is the ‘correct selection of electable candidates’ by the PTI chief.
Dr Raja Amir Zaman, the former district nazim and son of late parliamentarian Raja Sikandar Zaman, and Yousuf Ayub Khan, the grandson of former dictator Ayub Khan, are strong contenders according to the PTI workers and their own political supporters in NA-19 Haripur and KP-50 Haripur I.
Both used to be political rivals in the recent past; they are now considered candidates who could win seats for Khan’s party with little effort. However, internal bickering between the local leaders of the PTI is feared to negatively impact their election results.
Political observers claim former union nazim, Khurshid Anwar Khan, in KP-50 has differences with Yousuf Ayub Khan, the former provincial minister of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. They both filed applications for party tickets but Yousuf Ayub is slated to win more votes, and will most likely get the ticket.
Unfortunately Khurshid and Yousuf’s differences span decades, making it unlikely that either will rally supporters for the other. Khurshid Anwar, who is also a landlord from Shah Muhammad, had supported the outgoing provincial minister Qazi Asad Khan from KP-50 during the last election. Khan has defeated Yousuf Ayub and his brother twice in the past.
But now Khurshid Anwar has parted ways with Qazi Asad and openly challenged both Asad and Yousuf Ayub to contest elections against him.
Khurshid has a strong vote bank and Yousuf Ayub enjoys the support of a majority in the constituency, but the rift between them deepens as the PTI’s district president Kamal Ghaznavi is an opponent of Yousuf Ayub Khan.
“It is true that Khurshid Khan and Yousuf Ayub Khan could not sit together – the senior leadership is expected to iron out their differences very soon or at least make them obligated not to violate party discipline,” said a senior party leader of the division.
However, Faisal Zaman alias Jahazon Wala in KP-52 Haripur IV brings together the party and is strengthening his position against PML-N’s provincial president Pir Sabir Shah.
Another PTI leader requesting anonymity said the senior leadership of the party was cognizant of these issues and will resolve them amicably. “The party is in a very good position to win all the three seats in Haripur – NA-19, KP-50 and KP-52.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2013.
COMMENTS (16)
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@Asif Nawaz: There are more than 5 recommendations on my comment. what do say now.
@rizwan: crying for the immoral attitude of the party workers who have joined for the lust of rule.
@Asif Nawaz: you seems to be sms baby. how sweet of you. crazy about things. its time for you to have some bubbles and sweets.
This is the same situation in many other cities. Hope, they will cope with it and come up as conquerors in coming elections.
I'm from this constituency and I know all the local leaders that joined PTI are already failed in local politics. They have never delivered and are only concerned about restarting their careers. They are least interested in Haripur's issues and problems.
I'm PTI fan and I will not vote for any of these ppl.
Ermm arent voters supposed to be divided in a democracy? It's like saying the sky is blue!
Since when did ET become so interested in Haripur's politics, that a trivial dispute among local leaders has managed to make it to the front page.
@Muhammad Sohail Irshad: you probably lost the election and thats why crying out loud...
@Muhammad Sohail Irshad: Even Google can't link you with PTI. Tall claims, good that IK got rid of you at earliest as possible.
@Muhammad Sohail Irshad: You will always remain a nobody. First collect 5 recommendations for your comment, than question Imran's integrity. @ET: Shame on you. I mean seriously. I have been looking at your headlines from past 6 months now. You will not publish a single report on positive side of PTI or when PTI delievered its Policy for disabled, but you will def butter a baseless rumor and show it as the mother of all chaos. Lifafa journalism at its best.
For the sake of Islam & Pakistan, they should jjoin forces
...OR we can say this is the wishful thinking of ET so that they hae splashed it on their front page. With some knowledge of local politics of Haripur, the local voters of PMLN are more divided on the issues of accepting gohar ayub kahn and PMLN's support for changing the name of the province to KPK. Now that news never did the rounds on ET front page and this news does. I can tell you one thing, you just carry on using these tactics and wait for the election day!.
The most malafide, unfair, polluted and engineered intra party elections of PTI have been conducted. I am founder member of the PTI and joined hands with Imran Khan when he was unable to collect a gathering of 5 persons. Now conspiracy theory was adopted in the elections and the elections commission itself from top to bottom was involved in the elections who managed for a group to win. Not even a real worker of PTI was allowed to cast in the elections. Electoral lists were not provided. Lists were managed with the help of election commission. Even the elected persons at most of the union councils do not know that they are members of PTI. They were simply asked to cast votes. All illegal and immoral methods were adopted in the elections. Time will prove that these elections were fake and PTI have no strength at grass route level. The chairman of the party knowing all the facts is silent and happy that he has done some thing extra ordinary which the other parties have not done. I second him that he has really done some thing extra ordinary and that is fake and bogus intra party elections.
Imran Khan! Inshallah, there are many future new voters that are going to support and vote for you. Please avoid these small or big intra-party squabbles that will give PTI a bad name. Thanx. Salams
put your own house in order. this news is not about the corrupt pmln or ppp, the likes of who have joined PTI in large numbers.
Imran khan should personally sit together with these leaders and resolve the issues so that corrupt parties like PMLN and PPP are rooted out of that area.