MUZAFFARABAD: A founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has warned the central leadership that the party might hit problems, if steps to address ‘deficiency of merit and justice’ within the party were not taken in time.

Speaking at ‘Dialogue with Capital Journalists Forum,’ programme, Dr Lutfur Rehman Awan recalled that he had quit AJK health department job to serve the people, affected by corruption, nepotism and other injustices, and later joined the PTI because it also stood for the same cause.

However, if the party awarded tickets for the upcoming polls to any corrupt person or persons its popularity would definitely be undermined, added Mr Awan, who was made PTI’s founding president after the party formally launched its organisation in AJK.

Mr Awan’s concerns came a day after PTI chief Imran Khan addressed a public rally in Muzaffarabad which witnessed a clash between a handful of supporters of Mr Awan with those of Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, a close aide of PTI AJK chapter’s sitting president, Barrister Sultan Mahmood.

Claiming that he had provided evidences about the corruption of two former ministers, who had joined PTI along with Mr Mahmood to PTI spokesperson Naeemul Haq on the direction of central leadership, Mr Awan said he was quite hopeful that he would get “justice from Tehreek-e-Insaf.”

He made it clear that his fight was not against any individual(s), but against corruption which is central point of his party’s philosophy and ideology.

“As soon as we ascertain information about the corruption of other persons in the ranks of PTI, we will furnish it to the leadership,” he said.

Mr Awan warned that the PTI might face resistance from ‘selfless’ founding members, if their concerns were not addressed.

He said the founding members had demanded 16 out of 41 tickets for the people who had worked for the party day and night and could produce better results in the polls.

The remaining tickets could be given to the new entrants, he said.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2016