LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has decided to bifurcate its party offices from political ones as a measure to avert manipulation in intra-party polls like in the past.

PTI central organiser Saifullah Niazi has told a meeting of the senior party leadership here that party tickets in elections will not be given to those activists who will be holding party offices, a participant told Dawn here on Tuesday.

The process for PTI intra-party polls is in progress as retired Justice Wajihuddin-led judicial commission has declared null and void the previous elections for large-scale rigging complaints.

Influential and resourceful PTI activists had manipulated the polls held months before the 2013 general elections in a bid to recommend themselves and their groups for party tickets as selection of candidates was to be made on the recommendation of the party organisations.

A member of the central policy council told Dawn that the bifurcation of party and political offices was being made in the hope of minimising the manipulation chances.

The intra-party polls, he said, would be held within a month.

Meanwhile, Central Information Secretary Naeemul Haq met Punjab Organiser Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar here on Tuesday.

Both the leaders discussed matters related to the reorganisation of the party and political situation in Punjab. They also reviewed political strategy for local body polls in the province.

Chaudhry Sarwar said a massive drive for the local elections would be launched to mobilise the people at union council and village level.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2015

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