CHAKWAL: The local leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) were shocked when they came to know that a retired two-star general, who is yet to join their party formally, had been awarded ticket for PP 22 (Chakwal II). Besides, instead of fielding its own candidates the PTI has decided to support the PML-Q in NA 65 (Chakwal II) and PP 24 (Chakwal IV). PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi is all set to contest from NA 65.

The PTI officially announced the much awaited list of candidates for four out of six seats in Chakwal.

Among the candidates are: Sardar Ghulam Abbas for NA 64, Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz for PP 21, retired Major Gen Hafiz Masroor Ahmad for PP 22 and Sardar Aftab Akbar for PP 23.

Though the party has withheld announcement for NA 64 and PP 24, it has been learnt that Chaudhry Pervez Elahi would be the joint candidate of PTI and PML-Q in this constituency where PTI’s district president and former MNA Sardar Mansoor Hayat Tamman has applied for the party ticket. In PP 24 either Sardar Amjad Ilyas or Malik Asad of the PML-Q would be the joint candidate of both the parties.

Thus only one genuine PTI man in Chakwal’s six seats - Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz - is going to contest election from PP 21, a constituency where he did not apply for a ticket.

The party has also ignored two of its workers - Chaudhry Ali Nasir Bhatti and Malik Akhtar Shahbaz in PP 21 and PP 23 respectively. They worked hard for the party and Mr Bhatti spent millions of rupees on party’s public meetings. He was also ignored in last by-polls but Imran Khan had promised that he would be given ticket in the general elections. Sources said Mr Bhatti was offered to bring a female candidate on a reserved seat which he refused.

The name of retired Maj Gen Hafiz Masroor came out of the blue in a constituency where PTI has already three candidates who applied for the ticket.

Gen Mansoor retired from army in November 2015. But even three years after retirement, most of the people of the district do not know his name.

The sources said the unexpected arrival of Gen Mansoor came as an axe falling on the heads of three PTI potential candidates from PP 23 who had applied for the ticket.

These three candidates are: Raja Tariq Afzal Kalas, who contested the January 2018 by-polls, Raja Munawar Ahmad, a former MPA from Choa Saidan Shah, and Pir Waqar Hussain Karooli.

When contacted, Gen Mansoor said: “I have been working for PTI since long. It was me who brought Sardar Ghulam Abbas to the PTI. First, I talked to Sardar Abbas and then persuaded Imran Khan for taking him (Abbas)”.

Mr Abbas quit the PML-N on May 14 apparently over Nawaz Sharif’s controversial interview to Dawn. However, Gen Masroor’s confession makes it clear that Mr Abbas had already made up his mind to quit the PML-N and join PTI and Nawaz Sharif’s interview just served as a godsend.

When asked if his sudden entry into the political battle gave credence to the impression that the upcoming elections were being engineered by the establishment, he said: “Tell me had PTI a single candidate to win in Chakwal. That was why I brought Sardar Ghulam Abbas and demanded a ticket for myself.”

In 1985, retired Lt Gen Abdul Majeed Malik was also brought in Chakwal’s politics. But despite his sudden entry he had at least some political support in the form of Awami Group.

On June 5, local PTI leaders gathered at the residence of Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz, party’s senior vice president for northern region, and passed a resolution against the entry of Gen Masroor.

Two participants of the meeting told Dawn that they appealed to the PTI chairman for awarding ticket to any PTI’s genuine worker but not to Gen Masroor as he had nothing to do with the party. Raja Yasir Sarfraz submitted the resolution to PTI chief on June 6 but the latter ignored it.

“Very strange and unexpected things have happened. I had already made up my mind to not get nomination papers as I was told by a key party leader that the ticket was going to be awarded to Gen Masroor,” Raja Munawar told Dawn.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2018