PTI to finalise candidates on April 1
Like other major parties, PTI has more aspirants than tickets.
PTI chief Imran Khan will contest elections from four constituencies including Peshawar and Mianwali. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
After three consecutive days of meetings, Tehreek-i-Insaf central parliamentary board (CPB) handed over lists of candidates for national and provincial assemblies to the party’s provincial presidents, with directions to refine the pool of applicants and present it to the board on April 1.
This delay in finalising candidates comes after party chairman Imran Khan said on March 22 that all names would be confirmed within five days. Despite this statement, the board relaxed after the Election Commission of Pakistan extended deadline for filing nomination papers.
According to a senior board member, the board allowed Imran Khan to contest polls from four constituencies — NA-126 Lahore, NA-71 Mianwali, NA-56 Rawalpindi and NA-1 Peshawar. However, the approval for other senior office-bearers, such as President Javed Hashmi and Vice Chairperson Shah Mehmood Qureshi, to contest from more than one constituency has not been received.
Furthermore, the proposal to field Hashmi against former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif from NA-120 constituency has also not matured as yet.
Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood said that CPB meetings were still in progress to discuss a variety of issues, and that tickets would be awarded on April 1, on the recommendation of the provincial presidents.
According to Mehmood, the PTI plans to host a huge public gathering in Mingora on March 31, primarily to celebrate the election campaign.
Another senior board member said that the tickets for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa candidates have been finalised, but Punjab is still an issue, as there are more qualified aspirants than tickets. Apparently, many heavyweights have applied for Lahore tickets, amping up the competition.
Although the CPB discussed all applications thoroughly during the meetings, the final nod to the list was given by Imran Khan on Thursday. According to the board, the grace period announced by the election commission gave the party much needed breathing space to re-think recommendations.
The chairperson will head the CPB meeting on April 1 to finalise the list of candidates. All unsuccessful aspirants declined tickets will immediately be asked to withdraw nomination papers.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2013.
After three consecutive days of meetings, Tehreek-i-Insaf central parliamentary board (CPB) handed over lists of candidates for national and provincial assemblies to the party’s provincial presidents, with directions to refine the pool of applicants and present it to the board on April 1.
This delay in finalising candidates comes after party chairman Imran Khan said on March 22 that all names would be confirmed within five days. Despite this statement, the board relaxed after the Election Commission of Pakistan extended deadline for filing nomination papers.
According to a senior board member, the board allowed Imran Khan to contest polls from four constituencies — NA-126 Lahore, NA-71 Mianwali, NA-56 Rawalpindi and NA-1 Peshawar. However, the approval for other senior office-bearers, such as President Javed Hashmi and Vice Chairperson Shah Mehmood Qureshi, to contest from more than one constituency has not been received.
Furthermore, the proposal to field Hashmi against former premier and Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif from NA-120 constituency has also not matured as yet.
Central Information Secretary Shafqat Mehmood said that CPB meetings were still in progress to discuss a variety of issues, and that tickets would be awarded on April 1, on the recommendation of the provincial presidents.
According to Mehmood, the PTI plans to host a huge public gathering in Mingora on March 31, primarily to celebrate the election campaign.
Another senior board member said that the tickets for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa candidates have been finalised, but Punjab is still an issue, as there are more qualified aspirants than tickets. Apparently, many heavyweights have applied for Lahore tickets, amping up the competition.
Although the CPB discussed all applications thoroughly during the meetings, the final nod to the list was given by Imran Khan on Thursday. According to the board, the grace period announced by the election commission gave the party much needed breathing space to re-think recommendations.
The chairperson will head the CPB meeting on April 1 to finalise the list of candidates. All unsuccessful aspirants declined tickets will immediately be asked to withdraw nomination papers.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2013.