CHAKWAL: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chakwal district president Sardar Mansoor Hayat Tamman has announced that he will contest the upcoming elections as an independent candidate from NA-65 (Chakwal-II), deviating from his own party’s policy to support the PML-Q candidate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.

The party is also supporting PML-Q in PP-24, a sub-constituency of NA-65, where Hafiz Ammar Yasir is contesting from the PML-Q.

Mr Tamman, who opposed the PTI-PML-Q alliance tried his best to secure a party ticket and has now formed the PTI Azad NazriyatiGroup (PTI Independent Ideological Group).

Another PTI worker, Faisal Shah, is running in PP-24 as a part of the group, and another member is running in PP-23, another NA-65 sub-constituency.

Mr Tamman announced his decision in a video uploaded to his Facebook page. He said PTI workers were disturbed by the alliance with the PML-Q and could not find any answers as to the merit on which the party made the decision.

He said workers had failed to understand what “relation Pervez Elahi has in this constituency”, adding that he had consulted friends for several days on how to handle the situation.

“On the one hand there are unlimited resources and on the other hand there are some people of this area who are always ready to sell their area for their vested interest,” he said.

He said he had contemplated the situation and concluded that neither Sardar Faiz Tamman from the PML-N or Mr Elahi from the PML-Q were able to represent the area.

He criticised Mr Elahi for doing nothing for the area despite being deputy prime minister and an MNA, saying: “He neither visited this area nor made any effort to solve the problems of farmers of this area.”

Referring to former PML-N MNA Sardar Mumtaz Tamman, who recently announced his support for Mr Elahi, Mr Tamman said he was ready to support Sardar Mumtaz Tamman if he contested as an independent after being ignored by his party.

“Whether I win or lose the election, I am coming out for the representation of this area. My conscience does not allow me to backtrack from contesting the election,” he said.

Mr Tamman’s decision would not just hurt the PML-Q but will also affect the PML-N in this constituency. Although the party has not yet reacted to his decision, a PTI leader told Dawn Mr Tamman’s decision would cost heavily.

“Disciplinary action may be taken against him soon,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018