PTI announces launch of campaign for local elections

Chaudhry Sarwar says merit will be upheld in award of tickets.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Tuesday announced the start of its campaign for the upcoming local elections in the province. The announcement was made following a meeting between PTI central organiser Jahangir Tareen and PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar.

The meeting decided to hold rallies and corner meetings across the province to share party’s programme with the public.

Sarwar said merit would be upheld in the award of party tickets to applicants. He said parliamentary boards established at the district level would vet all applications and award tickets. He said grievances regarding award of tickets would be redressed at the district level. However, he did not specify if a separate body would be established at the district level for the purpose.

Sarwar said people from other political parties were unconditionally joining the PTI. “This shows the rising popularity of the party,” he said.

He said so far organisers had been appointed in 28 districts of the province in consultation with party workers. He said organisers for the remaining district would be appointed soon.

“There are no dissident factions within the PTI Punjab anymore,” he said. “A new Pakistan is not a distant dream. People trust in the PTI’s leadership. They will help us sweep local elections in September,” he said.

Referring to allegations of rigging in the 2013 general elections, he said evidence was now available of missing Forms XIV and XV from polling records. “How can we consider the election fair if the ECP’s polling record is incomplete?” he asked.

PTI central organiser Jahangir Tareen said there was evidence of other irregularities as well. He said the number of ballot papers printed by the ECP was more than the number of voters in two constituencies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and 71 in the Punjab of which two were in Lahore.

Tareen said PTI chief Imran Khan’s statement about 71 punctures rather than just 35 was justified based on these irregularities. He said the report of the judicial commission would expose the lies of the PML-N government. He also criticised the government for its failure to resolve the energy crisis.

Tareen expressed confidence in the preparations the provincial leadership of the party was making for the upcoming local elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2015.