Party affairs: Shafqat Mahmood steps down as PTI Lahore organiser

Chaudhry Sarwar says decision will be taken up in a meeting with Imran Khan

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Lahore organiser Shafqat Mahmood on Sunday announced his resignation from the party’s office over poor performance in local government elections in the city.

The announcement made at the social media website Twitter in the afternoon was later corroborated by PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar.

Speaking to The Express Tribune during his visit to Nankana Sahib, Sarwar confirmed receiving a phone call from Mahmood during which the latter had communicated his decision to resign from the Lahore organiser’s office.  He said the matter would be discussed and a decision taken on it in a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Asked if the party had sought Mahmood’s resignation, Sarwar said he had been away in Nankana Sahib all day and was not aware of such a decision taken by the party. However, he said Mahmood’s decision to resign from the party office was a courageous one. He said the PTI’s overall performance in the Saturday’s elections in the province was satisfactory, adding that the performance in Lahore remained disappointing. He said the party had set realistic expectations for itself in view of the hurdles put up in its way by the ruling PML-N. “Shafqat Mahmood is a very important leader of the party. He is a National Assembly member from the city. It is brave on his part to take such a step,” he said.



Further, Sarwar said the PML-N was using all resources at its disposal to harass and discourage PTI workers. He said all PTI candidates who participated in the elections deserved heartiest congratulations for remaining steadfast in such circumstances.

Sarwar was in Nankana Sahib to hold public gatherings with party supporters and to attend funeral prayers for party workers who had lost their lives in election day clashes.

Earlier, Mahmood sent two tweets to his followers on Twitter and said that he was stepping down as Lahore organiser in view of the party’s poor performance in the local government elections in the city. The tweets read: “PTI fared much worse than was expected in Lahore elections. We did our best but our best was not good enough.”

“As district in-charge, it is my moral duty to accept responsibility for this poor performance. I have resigned as Lahore organiser today.” Mahmood’s cell phone was switched off and he was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2015.