HYDERABAD: Several aspirants seeking Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) tickets in Hyderabad and Jamshoro on Tuesday expressed their indignation over not being obliged by the party’s selection board.

Speaking at a press conference at the local press club, the disappointed activists accused the board of having sold the tickets to undeserving candidates.

The dejected aspirants included Asif Baba, Azhar Gul Gaddi and Rasheed Naghar, who had sought a party ticket for NA-226; Kaleem Jaffri, who had opted for NA-227; Jawaid Khattak who had filed his nomination papers for PS-81; and Zohaib Mehdi, who wanted to contest on PS-65.

They urged PTI chairman Imran Khan to take disciplinary action against the board for “selling” the tickets leaving the old and dedicated activists in state of shock.

They argued that they had submitted their nomination papers on directives of the party leadership. However, Haleem Adil Shaikh, under the patronage of PTI Sindh president Dr Arif Alvi, meted out unfair treatment to them and sold party tickets to newcomers.

They said the board preferred these newcomers over those senior and loyal party workers who had offered sacrifices for the party.

Zohaib Mehdi revealed that Jamshed Shaikh and Q. Mohammad Hakim, who were awarded party tickets, belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Jamaat-i-Islami, respectively, until recently.

“Senior PTI activists reject the board’s decisions,” they said, adding that they would continue to protest against the decisions and decide a future course of action, including contesting the election as independent candidates, soon.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018