PTI says by-poll boycott out of question

Campaign against ECP members will move alongside

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf leadership stressed on Sunday that a boycott of by-elections was out of question. They said the election campaign would move alongside a drive for resignation of election commission members.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Aleem Khan, PTI’s candidate for NA-122 by-poll, said he was confident the ECP members would tender their resignations following a meeting scheduled for Monday (today).

Khan, a former PTI Lahore district president, said ECP members could no longer continue to hold their positions after the Pakistan Peoples Party’s announcement that it would contest no election under them.

Meanwhile, the nomination of Aleem Khan as the PTI’s candidate for NA-122 by-poll on Saturday has been met with reservations voiced in a debate that ensued on social media website Twitter under the hashtag #AleemKhan. Following the debate, PTI chairman Imran Khan uploaded a statement titled “Why I Chose Aleem Khan for NA-122” at the party website. It said Aleem Khan came from a humble background, adding that Khan had built his businesses with hard work and could be seen as a model ‘success story in business’. It condemned those opposing Aleem Khan’s nomination and said that they were not loyal to the party.

Asked why the PTI chairman had to upload the statement, Aleem Khan said it was done to clarify party’s position on NA-122 by-poll and to promote unity in party ranks.

By-polls campaign

As part of its preparation for the by-polls, the PTI has started training its polling staff, said Shoaib Siddiqi, party candidate for PP-147 by-poll.

He said areas where the party did not perform well in the 2013 general elections would be prioritised during the campaign.

Siddiqi said the party would not compromise on transparency in the upcoming by-polls.

Sarwar meets Tareen

PTI Punjab Organiser Chaudhry Sarwar called upon Central Organiser Jehangir Khan Tareen on Sunday. Besides the sit-in planned in front of the Election Commission office on October 4, the two leaders discussed preparations for by-elections and local government elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2015.