SHANGLA: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf activists on Monday blocked the Bisham-Swat Road at the Alpuri Chowk here against award of NA-10 ticket to what they said an undeserving man.

They alleged that the PTI changed the NA-10 ticket decision thrice, leading to differences among the party workers.

Chanting slogans against the party’s parliamentary board for awarding the national assembly ticket to Nawaz Mehmood instead of Waqar Ahmad Khan, they said the decision would cause rout of PTI in the Shangla district.

The speakers said Waqar Ahmed was the most popular and deserving candidate for the ticket as Mr Mehmood remained out of the country most of the time.

Later, addressing a news conference at the Alpuri Press Club, the PTI activists said they would boycott the general elections if the ticket was not awarded to Mr Ahmed as he had the support to give tough time to PML-N’s Amir Muqam.

Talking to Dawn, Waqar Ahmed said it was injustice with him that the ticket was taken away from him at a time when he had already started canvassing.

He demanded of the party’s parliamentary board to review the decision if PTI really wanted to win the seat.

On the other hand, Mr Mehmood said he deserved the ticket as he was an old worker of PTI and also had contested election from NA-10 in 2013. He thanked Imran Khan and parliamentary board for awarding him the ticket.

Political experts believe that PTI could defeat Amir Muqam if Waqar Ahmed was given the ticket on NA-10. They argued that if PTI lost the NA seat, it would also affect its performance in PK-23 and PK-24 constituencies.

SHOW-CAUSE NOTICE: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F has issued a show-cause notice to its Ghorband tehsil emir Sarbaaz for violating the party discipline and contesting the elections independently.

A press statement issued by the party’s general secretary Maulana Nizamuddin said Mr Sarbaaz had to explain within two days his position, otherwise his party membership would be suspended.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2018