LAHORE, Aug 3: The Punjab leadership of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf on Friday empowered its district bodies to recommend candidates for the National and Punjab assemblies with an assurance to them that their nomination would be fully honoured.

The decision to authorise the district bodies was taken at a meeting of district presidents and secretaries which was chaired by Punjab PTI President Ahsan Rasheed who said that their party was the first to confer upon the district organisations the power to select candidates and it was, thus, setting up new standards in organisational matters.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI chairperson Imran Khan said that the nomination of candidates by district organisations would be honoured because his party believed in democratisation and empowerment of the organisation at the lowest level. He said district recommendations would be considered first by provincial parliamentary boards and the final decision would be taken by the central parliamentary board and at all levels the decision of districts would be given the maximum weight.

Mr Khan said that the PTI was a progressive and liberal political organisation which was committed to socio-economic justice and would award maximum tickets to the middle class people who would ultimately make their positive contribution to the establishment of a genuine democracy, rule of law and the rule by state institutions. He said that the country was passing through a critical phase in the history and the PTI was committed to transform society in a manner that the armed forces of the country did not think of another intervention into the political and economic administration and that the army was confined to the role which was determined by the 1973 Constitution.

The PTI chairperson said the people had pinned high hopes with the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) and its component parties would rise to their expectations of restoring a civilian democracy in the country.