Serious differences: PTI workers’ convention marred by internal strife

Ejaz Chaudhry confident that by-elections will be held in NA-122.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Workers’ Convention in NA-122 constituency was held on Sunday amidst heavy sloganeering between two rival groups.

The convention was organised by the PTI Punjab at Rasheed Park in Ichhra. At the start, a group of workers expressed reservations over the absence of party leaders Abdul Aleem Khan, Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal and Shoaib Siddiqui.



They chanted slogans against Naeem Mir, a spokesperson for the Punjab PTI, who had organised the convention.

The protesters demanded to know why Khan, Iqbal and Siddiqui had not been invited to the event. Despite announcements from the stage requesting them to calm down, the workers continued chanting slogans. Some of them threatened to leave the convention.

Mir tried to bring the situation under control, but failed.

Soon, another group of workers started shouting slogans against Aleem Khan and Iqbal.

Amidst the chaos, PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry took the stage. Chaudhry expressed displeasure with the workers. “This is my house and no one should be under the impression that they can create a ruckus here,” he said.

“There is always room for differences in party ranks. However, such differences should not affect the unity of the party,” he said.

“I do not think these people were sent by Iqbal,” he later said while referring to the protesting workers.

“As per the decision taken by the PTI’s Central Executive Committee, membership of any party worker who reveals the party’s internal matters to the media will be revoked,” he said.

Speaking of rigging allegations in NA-122 elections, he said that the party was confident that by-elections would be ordered in the constituency. He said the PTI would take part in it. He reiterated the party’s stance regarding rigging in the 2013 general elections.

“It is wrong to claim that there was only mismanagement and no rigging in the elections. All political parties have expressed reservations about the elections,” the party leader said.

Chaudhry said that the government was ignorant of the problems facing the people.



A joint resolution was passed by the workers against the blasphemous caricatures published in a French magazine.

The resolution demanded that the government lodge an official protest against the caricatures at an international platform.

Earlier, the PTI Education Wing and the Insaf Youth Wing staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club against the blasphemous caricatures.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2015.