LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will re-hold intra-party elections despite the bitter experiences it faced in the previous exercise.

Party chairman Imran Khan told a youth convention here on Wednesday that “we’re the only political party which underwent intra-party polls and will repeat the exercise after learning lessons from the previous effort and making the process thoroughly transparent.”

He said that polls would be held after a new party membership drive.

Hinting at rifts among party ranks and cadre on distribution of offices as a result of intra-party polls, he sought to pacify those who could not get any slot.

Referring to the 126-day Islamabad sit-in for audit of 2013 vote, he threatened a new protest drive if justice was not provided to the PTI (in electoral matters).

“It’s our democratic and constitutional right to protest in streets in case we’re not given justice.”

Talking of equal rights for women, minorities and other segments of society, he said the PTI supported Shariah.

Referring to police reforms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khan alleged that the rulers in Punjab and Sindh made the police department subservient to their personal interests.

He did not see any change in the situation if the people did not raise a voice for their rights.

The expressed his displeasure at the mismanagement shown during the convention saying it did not match the discipline exhibited during the Islamabad sit-in and said it exposed that the youth need further training.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2015