TOBA TEK SINGH: Former MNA and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Riaz Fatyana criticised the party on Friday for awarding the party ticket to Rana Muhammad Shafiq for PP-89 by-election.

He told reporters the decision would result in the Okara-like situation where Ashraf Sohna, a former PPP minister, was awarded ticket for an NA-by-election, who ended up the fourth.

He said just three days ago at Fatyana House in Kamalia, late MPA Makhdoom Ali’s both daughters Sonia Ali Raza and Hina Ali Raza had announced joining the party in the presence of PTI district organiser retired Maj Ahmad Nawaz.

He said that in the presence of 1,000 prominent personalities of the constituency, it was decided the PTI would award ticket to Ms Raza, while the late MPA Rao Iqbal Khan’s family had also announced supporting her if she was a PTI candidate.

He said without consulting him (Fatyana), Chaudhry Sarwar had awarded ticket to Mr Shafiq. He said Ms Raza’s father was among few MPAs who had secured record 55,000 votes in 2013 election. He said he had urged the party leadership, including party chief Imran Khan, to revise the ticket decision but so far his request had not been given an importance.

He said Ms Raza would defeat both PML-N and PTI candidates as he cannot betray his promise made with her before a gathering of 1,000 people. He said that Asad Abbas Saha, who had secured 20,000 votes from PP-89 in 2008, was also ready to support her.

He said Mr Sarwar had also interfered in the recent local elections in Pirmahal and Kamalia had landed the party in defeat.

Fatyana said he feared that Mr Sarwar was trying to weaken his position in the area so that he himself could get PTI ticket for NA-94 seat from where he (Fatyana) not only remained MNA in 2002 and 2008 but in 2013 elections he had secured more than 67,000 votes. Also, independent candidate Rai Zikriya Khan announced on Friday withdrawing his candidature, and supporting Mr Shafiq.

On the other hand, Mr Sarwar told reporters in Pirmahal Mr Shafiq was the best candidate for the seat.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2015