KARAK: Differences have surfaced in the local chapter of Mutahidda Majlis-i-Amal over allotment of tickets for the upcoming general elections. MMA district president Hafiz Ibn-i-Ameen told journalists here on Monday that he had not been invited to the meeting, which finalised names of candidates for award of poll tickets. He termed the exercise illegal.

He said that MMA district chapter held a meeting about allotment of tickets on May 31 and sent recommendations to the provincial leadership. He said that the meeting was illegal as it was not attended by the district president of MMA.

The MMA district president said that the recommendations made by the committee had not been signed by him and he had informed MMA provincial vice president Dr Iqbal Khalil about it. The MMA district president claimed that Dr Iqbal Khalil had also rejected the nomination regarding award of MMA tickets to candidates.

Mr Ameen said that they had arranged a meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman about the illegal allotment of MMA tickets. He said that they had finalised the names of Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel for PK-85, Malik Zafar Azam for PK-86 and for NA-34 five names including Maulana Mirzaqeem, Ayub Khattak, Qari Jehanzeb, Mufti Mehmoodul Hassan and Hafiz Ibn-i-Ameen had been sent to the provincial leadership to pick one of them for award of MMA ticket.

Meanwhile, JUI-F spokesperson for Karak tehsil Maulana Noor Zaman said that their candidates would contest the polls on the symbol of book. He said without symbol of book, no one would be considered a candidate of MMA.

He asked the workers forge disunity and back those candidates, who were awarded tickets by the MMA leadership. He claimed that soon the tickets would be allotted. He asked the workers to refrain from believing in hearsay about the award of tickets.

Mr Zaman asked the workers to keep in touch with the party organisation regarding any decision about the award of tickets.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2018