Widening rift: Disgruntled PTI workers decide to contest polls independently

Claim ticket allocation in FATA ignored ideological workers in favour of less deserving candidates.

SHABQADAR/ PESHAWAR: After the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) awarded tickets to candidates in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), differences emerged between workers, some of whom on Wednesday attacked the residence of Additional General Secretary Saifullah Niazi in Islamabad.

On Friday, PTI workers staged a protest in Mohmand Agency against the distribution of party tickets. They chanted slogans against Provincial President Asad Qaiser, party think-tank leader Rustam Shah Mohmand and Niazi, alleging they had influenced party chairman Imran Khan in the distribution of tickets.

The party’s former Fata Deputy Organiser Fakhre Alam Khan, while speaking to The Express Tribune, said old workers from Fata had decided to contest the polls independently in three separate constituencies. He said Rahim Shah Mohmand would be contesting in NA-36, Khalilur Rehman in NA-43 and Zaheer Mohmand in NA-44.

These names were confirmed by Fata chapter chief organiser Dr Bashir Khan in a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club. “The party’s central leadership on several occasions had assured us that ideological workers would be given preference in the allotment of party tickets, but they have kept us in the dark throughout the process and in the end tickets were given to those who recently joined the party,” he added.

Bashir further claimed ideological workers along with activists of the party’s youth and student bodies had unanimously decided not to support those contesting elections on PTI tickets in Fata, and criticised Imran Khan for not fulfilling his promises to workers who had made sacrifices to strengthen the party.

Meanwhile in Charsadda, the ticket given to Anwar Taj Khan, a PTI candidates for NA-8, was withdrawn. Taj Khan announced he, along with 20 union council representatives, would not support the PTI candidate for NA-8 and PK-22. He alleged there was corruption in the party ticket allotment process, but admitted over 200 leading workers had confidence in Imran Khan’s leadership.

Responding to the angry workers, the PTI’s NA-36 candidate Dawood Shah claimed he would make an effort to placate all workers and would win the constituency with their help.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2013.