MANSEHRA: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is facing a split in Mansehra district over the nomination of Zahida Sabeel for PK-34 election.

Some key party leaders, including Senator Azam Khan Swati, supports independent candidate and former minister Shahzada Gustasab Khan in the constituency.

The PTI central leadership has already announced disciplinary action against the office-bearers and leaders contesting elections despite being denied tickets.

Zahida Sabeel says will contest PK-34 election

Zahida Sabeel is supported by PTI former divisional general secretary Sajid Mumtaz Khan and aspirant Saeed Khan, who withdrew his nomination papers on the order of party chief Imran Khan.

However, PTI leader Shahzada Gustasab Khan is contesting election in PK-34 as an independent candidate after the party didn’t give him ticket. PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati, who recently remained in the news for canceling the party’s election ticket for Ambreen Swati in NA-13, is supporting Mr Gustasab.

Ambreen Swati insisted that she continued to be in the running. However, the party has yet to act against those, who are contesting election as independently after ticket denial.

Ms Sabeel told a news conference here that she was being supported by the PTI leaders and workers following the ideology of Imran Khan and its vision.

Accompanied by PTI leaders Sajid Mumtaz Khan and Saeed Khan, she said she won’t withdraw from election and would contest it on the PTI ticket.

POWER PROTEST: The people blocked Milad Chowk against the prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding in Oghi area here on Wednesday.

Shouting slogans against Pesco, the protesters burned old tyres and blocked traffic for over two hours inconveniencing both motorists and commuters.

Local elder Mohammad Altaf said the Pesco had announced that it would suspend electric supply six hours daily, but ironically, it was subjecting the local residents to power outages for more than 14 hours daily.

He said the excessive power cuts had distrusted life in the entire tehsil.

Another protester, Mohammad Amir, warned that the people would block the Oghi-Mansehra Road to traffic for an indefinite period if the Pesco didn’t stick to the loadshedding schedule.

The protesters dispersed peacefully after assistant commissioner of Oghi Shabbir Khan, deputy superintendent of police Bashir Khan showed up and promised to take up the problem with the Pesco bosses for early resolution. Also, the protesters met Pesco sub-divisional officer Aqif Javed, who assured them that the company would strictly follow the loadshedding schedule to their relief.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018