‘Much ado about nothing’: PTI fails to shortlist names for key party posts

Reports about the party performance in K-P and other provinces presented to Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD: The Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed on Sunday to develop consensus on choosing new names for two key party officers—secretary general and president for the provincial chapter in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P.)

Despite the two-day hectic efforts, the CEC could not even shortlist the names as numerous aspirants made it difficult for the PTI Chairman Imran Khan to select the two officers.

“The CEC gave the chairman the right to decide on the issue through consultation,” according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

The CEC was deliberating on how to take back the posts of party’s secretary general from the K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and K-P chapter president Asad Qaiser. Both the officers said that they were voluntarily willing to surrender their posts.

They were both elected in intra-party elections earlier this year.

The CEC meeting, presided by Imran Khan, also tried to resolve differences among senior leaders of the party maneuvering for the top offices.

“The party must resolve the differences maturely,” observed Khan who was briefed that the present Constitution as well as the amended Political Parties Order, 2002, did not provide any restriction on holding of party office as well as political posts in government.

Firdous Shamim Naqvi from Sindh and Jahangir Tareen from Punjab aspired for the post of general secretary, party sources told The Express Tribune.

Khan, however, had made up his mind to hand over this important responsibility to Sardar Ishaq Khakwani, added the sources. “I am not among the aspirants. However, if Imran Khan asks me to take up the responsibility I will work on it,” Khakwani told The Express Tribune.

Names for office of K-P president are yet to be discussed. “Remove those members who have gone public against the party, publicly discussing internal affairs in the media,” Khan directed.

The CEC also agreed that Justice Wajiuddin Ahmed would head a committee which would look into the grievances regarding intra-party elections.

Discussing discipline in the party, the CEC agreed that once the investigation into ‘obnoxious emails’ against party leadership gets completed, members who are part of these chain emails would be sternly dealt with.

Over the party’s performance report on K-P, Imran Khan expressed grave concern. He directed Khattak to improve the law and order situation as a priority. Reports on the party performance in the other three provinces were also presented.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2013.