SWABI, July 25: The local leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Topi and Gadoon Amazai have threatened to boycott the upcoming by-election if leadership doesn’t change the party candidate for the National Assembly seat NA-13, Swabi II.
PTI has awarded ticket to Aqibullah Khan, the brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, who is also provincial president of the party, for the by-election for NA-13. The seat was vacated by Mr Qaisar after May 11 general elections when he retained the provincial assembly seat, PK-35.
However, the entire leadership of PTI in Topi and Gadoon Amazai revolted against Mr Qaisar and opposed candidature of his brother for the vacant seat.
The officer-bearers and workers of PTI held a protest meeting here on Thursday in Topi with district president Sohail Khan Yousafzai in the chair.
It was the third protest meeting of PTI workers during the last three days. One of the meetings was also attended by Mr Aqib but he was told by the PTI local leaders that they were opposed to his candidature.
The participants of the meeting criticised provincial president of the party and resolved that they would not accept his dictatorial decisions. They alleged that the wrong policies of Mr Qaisar shattered their dreams.
They said under a well-planned strategy he awarded the party ticket to his brother and kept the party leaders in dark.
The participants of the meeting said that Mr Aqib was running a group of private schools but he was awarded party ticket for by-election while sincere workers, who rendered sacrifices for 17 years, were ignored.
They said that party ticket should be awarded to PTI district president Sohail Khan Yousafzai. “However, in case he is disqualified then the ticket should be given to Rangaiz Khan, who contested election on the party ticket from PK-36, Swabi-VI and ended as runner-up in May 11 elections,” they added.
They said that they would boycott the by-election if party leadership failed to meet their demands.
The PTI leaders and workers said that it was their final decision and a warning to the provincial president of the party to review his decision. They claimed that Mr Aqib would face an ignominious defeat if they boycotted the by-election.
“Mr Qaisar wants to destroy the party. He has converted the party into his own property. He makes decisions in his home and imposes the same on the workers but this is not acceptable to us. We have strived to deliver according to the vision of Imran Khan, who has a dream to bring a positive change in the country,” said Mohammad Younas, a local leader of PTI.
After the meeting, PTI provincial president told Dawn that would meet Imran Khan to apprise him of the resentment among the workers.
“I want to make one thing very clear that I would go along with the leaders and workers of the party. Those, who want to impose their decisions on workers, would be opposed vehemently because our real asset is the people,” he added.
Mr Yousafzai said that they were also ready to meet Mr Qaisar as they didn’t want to weaken the party.
Other local leaders of PTI said that one thing was final that Mr Aqib would not be the party candidate at any price. “If the decision remains intact then we will remain silent spectators,” they said.
