PESHAWAR/MANSEHRA, Nov 14: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf will arrange a debate for the candidates, who want to contest election for party offices in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to present their vision about different issues within the framework of the party’s manifesto.

“PTI is going to make history by becoming the first political party in Pakistan to introduce pre-election debate on Saturday in Peshawar. It is a step towards creating real democracy in the party,” said a statement issued by PTI media office.

The event, it said, would allow members a chance to hear what all the top candidates of PTI in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to say about key policy issues and enable them to make an informed choice in the intra-party elections.

The event has been conceived and is being organised by Professional Lawyers Forum with the official patronage of PTI provincial election commission.

The statement said that ‘PTI election debate 2012’ in Peshawar was the first of a series of events being organised by the Professional Forum under the patronage of Qazi Mohammad Anwar, chief provincial election commissioner of PTI, and Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, provincial convener of PTI. Senior lawyer Hamid Khan will be chief guest on the occasion.

The statement said that PTI members would be oriented about voting methods and educated on casting a ‘smart vote’. The PTI newsletter would be launched and information leaflets about voting method would be distributed among the members on the occasion.

An orientation CD about PTI election process would also be screened before the audience. Moreover, potential candidates would be given an opportunity to present their future vision within the framework of the party manifesto on specific subjects with a question and answer session before a select gathering of relevant electoral college, media and monitoring observers.

In Mansehra, the local chapter of PTI constituted a 50-member interim council to run the party affairs and end rift among workers. “We have set up a 50-memebr council, which will not only run the party affairs but end the internal rift to win maximum seats in the next general elections in the district,” PTI leader Malik Mushtaq Khattana told journalists here on Wednesday.

He said that the council was formed after postponement of intra-party elections by the party leadership. “We want to end internal differences to win the upcoming general elections in the district as we are in a position to sweep the elections under leadership of Imran Khan,” said Mr Khattana. He said that interim councils would shortly be constituted at tehsil level in Mansehra, Balakot and Oghi to mobilise workers.