Bacha is the only PTI worker from Peshawar to have held the position of union council nazim. PHOTO: FILE
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to field Gul Bacha for the by-polls in NA-1, The Express Tribune learnt on Friday.
Bacha, who has been a PTI worker since 1996, was the election campaign in-charge of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s run for the same constituency. Imran won the NA-1 seat, defeating Awami National Party’s Ghulam Ahmad Bilour by more than 66,000 votes.
“Earlier, I had submitted an application to contest the election from PK-1, but Imran Khan asked me to take charge of his election campaign for NA-1 as he had a busy schedule,” said Bacha, confirming he would contest the by-polls from NA-1.
Bacha also contested for union council nazim from UC-II Peshawar in the local body elections held in 2001 and 2005. He is popularly known for solving local disputes through the jirga system and is the only PTI worker from Peshawar to have held the position of union council nazim.
When contacted, PTI Provincial Information Secretary Aqeel Razaq confirmed party chief Imran Khan had given the green light to Bacha. He revealed, however, that PTI office bearers at the union council level in PK-3 and PK-2 were favouring Saleem Jan Khan, a senior PTI leader, for the NA-1 constituency.
“PTI lawmakers from Peshawar including Javed Naseem, Gulzar Khan, Hamidul Haq and Sajid Nawaz are in favour of awarding the party ticket to Saleem Jan Khan,” he informed.
Earlier, the names of Samad Mursaleen, Younas Zaheer Mohmand and Zahid Mohmand had surfaced as contenders for party tickets.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2013.
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