MANSEHRA: The disgruntled PTI activists have warned they will stage a sit-in outside party chairman Imran Khan’s house in Islamabad if tickets for the May 30 local body elections are distributed against their wishes.

However, the party’s district president announced the party’s constitution and manifesto would be strictly followed for the award of election tickets. The activists annoyed with the party’s provincial president, Azam Khan Swati, met at a local hotel on Tuesday. They said Swati wanted to form an alliance with JUI-F and PPP and allot party tickets to men of other parties to strengthen own group.

“We flay the interference of Swati in allotment of party tickets to men of his own group for the May 30 elections. If he continues with the practice, we will stage a sit-in outside Imran Khan’s house in Islamabad,” said former NA-21 candidate Niaz Khan Sarkhali.

Other speakers including Sardar Khan and Mian Tufail also demanded fair distribution of tickets for LG elections.

Serkhali said those who rendered sacrifices for the party were ignored, while those who created hurdles in the way of party were being favoured. Sardar Khan said local leaders and party workers were politically very mature and would not allow Swati to field candidates of own choice in the elections.

Allege unfair distribution of tickets for LG polls

“We will not allow him (Swati) to make unnatural alliance with JUI-F and PPP for the LG elections. We want our own party men elected as the district and tehsil nizams or chairmen,” he said. When contacted, PTI district president Shafahat Ali Khan said he was aware of resentment among party workers and local leaders. “Whatever is being propagated by some is wrong as tickets have yet to be awarded,” he said. He said he would strictly follow the party’s constitution and manifesto for the award of party tickets for elections. Shafahat said a 15-member parliamentary board led by him would allot party tickets.

“We have received a total of 113 applications from 59 wards of Mansehra district, 36 wards of Mansehra tehsil, 12 wards of Balakot tehsil and 11 wards of Oghi tehsil,” he said.

He said PTI provincial prescient Azam Swati and local MPA Maleeha Tanveer were member of parliamentary board formed to finalise election candidates but nobody would be in a position to influence the exercise.

When asked about forming election alliance with JUI-F and PPP, he said his party would not make ‘unnatural alliances’ but would prefer going solo in the elections.

Also in the day, the three-party opposition alliance has urged other political parties to join hands with them for the upcoming local government elections in the district. “Our doors are open to other political parties to contest LG elections jointly,” former JUI-F Senator Hidayatullah Shah told the meeting. Shuja Salim Khan of PPP and Mufti Kifaytullah of JUI-F along with former MNA Laiq Mohammad Khan and other leaders of the alliance attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2015

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