KARAK, March 17: Severe differences erupted in the district chapter of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) after former director general of Intelligence Bureau Massod Sharif Khattak, who joined the party recently, announced names of candidates for a National Assembly and two provincial assembly seats in Karak, sources said.

They said that PTI district president Advocate Altaf Qadir and his cabinet members were annoyed with Masood Sharif. The district leadership of the party remained unaware about the public meetings and other political activities of Masood Sharif, they added.

Sources said that the rift divided PTI into two groups in the district. One of the groups was led by the district president and his cabinet while the other backed the former director general of Intelligence Bureau.

Sources added that the differences reached to its peak the other day when Masood Sharif said announced himself as candidate for National Assembly seat and former MNA Shamsur Rehman and Saleem Khan for two seats of provincial assembly in the district. The district organisation of the party termed the nomination unconstitutional.

The PTI district organisation has said that parliamentary board of the party would decide about awarding tickets to candidates for the next general elections as Masood Sharif has no authority to nominate someone for the elections.

Sources said that district organisation of the party was backed by provincial leadership. The district organisation was making preparations to name its own candidates for next elections, they added.

According to insiders, Masood Sharif has created unrest among the old workers of PTI as he is bypassing them and is running the party affairs according to his own will.

Sources said that the district organisation tried its level best to persuade Masood Sharif to hold public meetings and carry out other political activities with consent of district cabinet of the party but to no avail.