FAISALABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders who put up a united front in a by-election for PP-72 in 2013 and managed victory for their candidate, Khurram Shehzad, are now opposing his nomination as PTI candidate for NA-107.

Unlike leaders, PTI workers are, however, supporting Mr Shehzad’s candidature because of his constant presence in the constituency.

Mr Shehzad will face PML-N’s Akram Ansari, who has won the NA elections six times. The PTI candidate, however, should be more bothered about his party colleagues - former federal minister Raja Nadir Pervez and Ali Sarfraz, son of former federal minister Zahid Sarfraz – who are opposing ticket for him.

Mr Pervez won the 2002 general election from the area when Mr Ansari did not fight election because of the graduation bar. Now, Mr Pervez wanted the PTI ticket for his relative.

Recently, he told a press conference he had played an active role to win the PP-72 seat for the party but the party ignored his services. He asked party chief Imran Khan to probe into the award of the ticket to Mr Shehzad, calling it a conspiracy against the party.

Workers, however, have a different viewpoint.

Rana Abid, PTI worker, said party leaders must shun their differences to win the elections so that the PTI form governments in the province and the center. He said differences among party leaders would ultimately hit the party face and its vote bank.

Such differences among the PML-N ranks had cost the party the MPA seat in the 2013 bye-election when leaders developed differences over the award of the PML-N ticket.

A PML-N worker said differences among the PTI leaders would help Mr Ansari win the election with a thumping majority. He said people were very much happy with the services the Punjab government rendered for the public.

Mr Ansari has strong connections with the notables of the area but he is facing the wrath of powerloom workers and owners, who say that Mr Ansari did nothing for them when he was state minister for textile.

Ghulam Mohammadabad, an area falling in the constituency, is home to thousands of powerlooms.

A factory owner, requesting anonymity, told Dawn that they sold powerlooms at Rs65 per kilogramme, lower than the standard rate, while Mr Ansari failed to bring any relief for them.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018