RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to launch a membership drive in the Rawalpindi district after Oct 15, and will hold nine workers conventions in this regard.

Although some have suggested that the party is preparing for early elections, party leaders have insisted it is preparing for the general election in 2018.

“Before the general elections, the PTI did not consider its preparation enough to challenge the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N in the district, as many workers and supporters are angry about being neglected by the party leadership in decision-making,” a senior party leader told Dawn.

He said the results of the cantonment board and local government elections over the last two years had forced the party to reorganise in the district. The PTI failed to secure a single seat in the cantonment board elections.

However, in the local government elections the party managed to secure up to 10 seats in the district council, municipal corporation and municipal committees in seven tehsils.

“There is a general perception that the PTI has more leaders and fewer workers, as compared to its rival, the PML-N. Workers need to be activated to end the perception, and the membership drive is part of this,” he said.

Another senior party leader blamed the elected parliamentarians from the Rawalpindi district for creating distance between the workers and the leadership.

“In the last four years, Imran Khan, who was elected MNA from NA-56, only visited his constituency three times, as he came for Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s public meetings,” he said.

He said: [Imran Khan] did not nominate any person or committee in his constituency to contact party workers who give him support and votes. The workers are of the view that, like other traditional politicians, Imran Khan will come to the constituency near the elections.”

To follow in Mr Khan’s footsteps, he added, MPAs Arif Abbasi, Asifa Khan and Rashid Hafeez did not contact workers after the 2014 sit-in outside Parliament House.

“Lawmakers did not establish their public secretariat to listen to local residents’ issues or problems. Ijaz Khan Jazi established his public secretariat on College Road, and others were not available.”

When contacted, PTI District President Zahid Kazmi said the membership drive would begin after the Oct 15 workers convention in Islamabad. He said all the organisations of the district’s seven tehsils – including Rawalpindi, Murree, Gujar Khan, Taxila, Kallar Syedan, Kahuta, Kotli Sattian and the cantonment areas, are to announce their own workers conventions in the coming month.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2017