PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE:
The controversy surrounding women’s seats is “senseless” as those who have been nominated for Punjab “come on merit,” tweeted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in response to senior party leaders Fauzia Kasuri and Saloni Bokhari’s qualms.
After senior PTI leaders Dr Shireen Mazari and Munazza Hasan were nominated on two PTI reserved seats for Punjab, Kasuri and Bokhari raised objections claiming that they deserved the seats owing to their long association and contribution to the party’s affairs, a senior party leader told The Express Tribune.
Prior to elections, the party’s central executive committee submitted a list of women candidates for reserved seats in National Assembly to the election commission.
This list, which was prepared after consensus, sported Dr Mazari’s name on top, while the names of Hassan, Ayla Malik, Kasuri, Dr Yasmin Rashid followed in that order.
The decision was made by chairperson Imran Khan on merit while taking all members of Central Executive Committee on board, said Mazari, the party’s central information secretary when contacted. She added that the party did not receive any written complaint on this selection from any female party leader including Kasuri.
The party chairperson has now given a clear-cut statement to reject discrimination and violation of merit in the formation of a priority list of women candidates from Punjab on reserved, Mazari said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2013.
Correction: In an earlier version of this story, it was erroneously mentioned that Ayla Malik was nominated by PTI on reserved seats. The error is regretted.
COMMENTS (33)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
shame on imran khan he laid us down and why ayla malik is considered and why shireen mazari over Fk... you must reply Imran khan Plse talk with FK
@hidayat: shame on imran khan......
shame liar imran khan
@Faqir Ipi: PTI will loose genuine and ideological like Fauzia Kasuri.
imran khan do not loose her plse plse talk with her..
irfan
IK is a man of rules, like it or not... merit has been defined and has a number of components and the partys executive committee is not exactly a brainless body and must be respected for their decision...look at wat happened with the niazi brothers...FK was ON the merit list.. she was number four... its massive rigging thats to be blamed if anything that affected the numbers of reserve seats... being a founding member does notmake you number one automatically! justice has prevailed... emotions have to take a back seat ... sorry
@QB: Probably IK now only need youth in PTI and Fauzia kasoori has done her job for 17 years. Sorry to say this but it looks like.
@ASQ: Merit is to be grand daughter of Nawab of Kala Bagh(Ayla Malik) then you could be given priority in a list over a person like F. Kasoori who has been in party for 17 years.
At this time the main issue is not that FK is leaving PTI. The main problem I have with PTI regarding this issue is that we didn't see any real efforts in stopping FK from leaving. I recall when Javed Hashmi was leaving PML-N at least most of their senior leadership tried to stop him. I didn't see IK going over to FK to convince her to stay. That is the big problem.
And yes I am a PTI supporter.
As a strong opponent of PTI , I will dare to say that to meet ends of democracy, party discipline comes first and Ms.Kasuri should follow that.If she thinks that Chairman is not working properly she could have contested against Imran Khan in intra-party elections. Now why this hue & cry??
Whatever her grievance FK should stay with the party and fight for what she thinks is right. What she and her "many" supporters need to understand its that neither the most senior nor the most faithful is always the best candidate for a role. If FK really has PTIs and Pakistan's best interests as her priority she should stay with the party and not abandon the supporters. Joining any other party week be extreme hypocrisy and a real shame. Just my two cents.
Fk is the loyal member of the party. What is merit, if working hard for 17 long years for the party does not give you the merit to deserve a reward then i m disappointed in pti. Ik him self then does not deserve a seat. He should hold his assets close ppl who has been with him in hard times. Fk deserves a reward, she sacrifice so much for the pti. Ik plz sir dont let it go in vain. I heard fk is leaving pti, mame plz dont leave u r an inspiration to us.
Correct. There is no easy way to describe merit. IK and the leadership decision is called merit. And no way Shireen Mazari sits at the top of the list! That practically means she is more deserving then any women in the entire party. If that's capability then no more votes to PTI from my family'
And what is the merit???
FK crying over a seat ... tsk tsk ! no difference between her and the lot she so vehemently criticized ...
PTI showing its true color. Fights in intra-party elections to rifts in giving tickets for general seats then to this women reserved seat disagreement, a sane can judge the fact that PTI is nothing but a party hungry and greedy of power. And we know your definition of "merit: very well IK, nominating blackmailer like Shireen Mazari who criticized and left PTI in 2012 when there was a decline in PTI's popularity but again joined the party just 2 months before elections due to massive popularity. Stalwarts like Fauzia Kasoori had been with IK for 17 long years even in the times of defeat. So stop humiliating FZ because of her bold and right stance.
When “compromised people” (like Pervez Khataks) and his 04 females relative (out of total 6 PTI reserved seats) has to be accommodated, it is quite natural that PTI will loose genuine and ideological like Fauzia Kasuri.
Really Hard Luck PTI . . .
the questions raised by fauzia kasuri makes many supporters like me wonder what really is merit and what is the criteria to judge it. why mrs. kasuri who has been so actively involved in party campaign is not among the first three and how someone like shirin mazari who left the party in the middle of the campaign for her stupid reason is a better representative of PTI in NA. and I hardly know munazza hasan. her followership doesn't in any way match with that of fouzia kasuri. her qualifications....no idea.
IK needs to open his eyes Fauzia Kasuri has a just case and if the desensitivity of top leadership continues with their old hard working workers new ones will not be willing to put in their sweat and blood for party. Wrong precedents are being set up by the leaderhsip.
In my opinon Fouzia Kasuri should be at No-1 in priority list.I see the staure of FK much higher than SM. Dont let injustice to be rooted in PTI
@skhan: Has she given up her dual nationality?
PTI is on the fall now. The artificial balloon will flatten very soon.
Imran Khan can't seem to tell the difference between politics and cricket. Politics really seems to be challenging the limits of his mental ability.
Expect anything from the people of Kasur.
what is this so-called 'merit' that i keep hearing about from IK? did all these candidates have to sit for a written exam? the truth is that there is no thing as merit, only a set of arbitrary criteria that can be adjusted to IK's will.
@ ET: "After senior PTI leaders Dr Shireen Mazari and Ayla Malik were nominated on two PTI reserved seats for Punjab, Kasuri and Bokhari raised objections..."
Ayla malik is not nominated on reserved seat. Its munazza hassan.
@SAK: As per my understanding, Ayla is contesting for NA71 in by elections while Munaza Hassan was promoted in reserved list.
Please check the story again. Its munaza hassan elected as MNA not Malik...please verify before publishing your stories.
@SAK: Ayla malik is not being selected on reserved seats, ET please. !!
Lets not forget, she actually proposed making a fake domicile. What a joke.
As a PTI supporter I believe that Imran Khan needs to get off his Tweeter account for a minute, for god sake you cannot deal your party’s sensitive issues with tweets! Mr. chairman needs to realize that the party HAS NOT SWEPT the elections, and he absolutely cannot afford to loose anymore of his core individuals… For Fauzia Kasuri, PTI should do whatever to adjust her in the Senate from Punjab or KPK if not in the NA. She has given up so much for the party its time party should recognize her sacrifices..... I think With her there will be lot of supporters leaving the party!!
Imran Khan should stick to his statement, No one is above Party discipline, Kasuri sahiba No Blackmailing please. Next time ... or wait for your turn to be a senator. Lets Make PTI a Success.
If Munaza Hassan is second on the list, how come Ayla Malik is selected to NA. Please check and correct if I am right to point it out.
People are so eager to see PTI crash, they are willing to believe rumors over facts.
It is SAD that siome party activist in PTI are working for seats rather than a mission. Which shows the the inherent corruption of minds.