SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Rangaiz Khan, who has applied for PK-43, PK-44, and NA-18 tickets, has rejected Asad Qaisar’s request to support him and give up the idea of contesting the polls as independent if he (Rangaiz) fails to get the party ticket, Dawn has learnt.

A three-member PTI jirga comprising Fazal Wadood Khan, Sohail Khan and Fida Hussain visited his residence at Baja on Sunday and put forward the request, said sources, but Mr Rangaiz did not budge.

Mr Qaisar wants to contest elections from PK-43, PK-44 and NA-18, but Mr Rangaiz warned that if he was ignored he would contest election as independent from the three constituencies.

The sources quoted Mr Rangaiz as telling the delegation that it was responsibility of Mr Qaisar to accommodate others and give opportunity to them to contest elections.

When contacted, Mr Rangaiz confirmed his meeting and said Mr Qaisar should demonstrate political maturity and enable him to contest the elections. He warned that Mr Qaisar’s policies would harm the party in Swabi.

In a related development, a jirga convened at the residence of former MPA Mohammad Shiraz Khan unanimously supported him to contest election from PK-43.

Mr Shiraz, the district president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, had won election from then PK-36, Swabi-VI constituency. The participants said Mr Shiraz had contributed a lot to the party’s cause despite being in the opposition.

On the occasion, he said he would continue to serve people of his area as they had supported him through thick and thin.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018