MARDAN/KARAK: Serious differences persist in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Mardan and Karak chapters over award of party tickets, which could result in a setback for it in coming general elections.

In Mardan, the PTI activists belonging to PK-51 and PK-52 constituencies held protest demonstrations on Tuesday against what they called unjust distribution of party tickets. Later, they held a press conference at Mardan Press Club.

The protesters who were calling themselves as ideological PTI activists, chanted slogans against former education minister Mohammad Atif Khan. Prominent among the disgruntled leaders and workers included Haris Khan Toru, Kalimullah, Abdus Sattar and Mujahid Bacha.

Disgruntled leaders to contest polls from PK-51, PK-52 and NA-34 independently

Speaking at the press conference, they lamented that the party had ignored its old and ideological leaders and issued tickets to turncoats and newcomers who had joined PTI just a few months ago for the sake of getting tickets.

They, however, alleged that Atif Khan had misled PTI chairman Imran Khan on the tickets issue. They claimed that they would not leave the election field open for those turncoats and newcomers who had secured the PTI tickets.

On the occasion, they announced that Haris Khan and Kalimullah would contest polls as independent candidates from PK-51 for Pk-52 against the party ticket-holders Zahir Shah Toru and Ameer Farzand Khan, respectively.

They also said that they would give those two provincial assembly seats as a gift to Imran Khan, if they were elected.

In Karak, cracks in the ranks of PTI’s local chapter have weakened the party’s position in the district.

Party insiders told this scribe here on Tuesday that former PTI MNA Shamsur Rehman Khattak had formally launched campaign for NA-34 against own party candidate Shahid Khattak. Mr Khattak claimed that he had also got the support of disgruntled JUI-F candidate Javed Iqbal who was contesting on PK-85, Karak-I.

Local party activists who requested anonymity criticised Imran Khan for awarding tickets to unsuitable candidates in the district.

As the election campaign is picking momentum in the district after award of tickets to candidates of different political parties, the usual spirit among the PIT workers of the district could not be seen so far.

The insiders warned that if the intra-party differences were not resolved by the PTI candidates it could result in a serious setback for the party in the coming election.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018