ATTOCK, Dec 21: Cracks have appeared in the local chapter of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf after its central leader Malik Amin Aslam refused to attend a recent party meeting on intra-party elections scheduled for January 2.

The meeting was convened on December 10 at the house of Qazi Ahmed Akbar, who not only aspires to contest coming provincial assembly election in PP-16 on PTI ticket but party elections too.

Party sources told Dawn that the PTI leaders including former regional coordinator of PTI, Sadaqat Abbasi, who happens to be one of the contenders for party election, and PTI Regional Election Commissioner Qaisar Abbas advocate also attended the meeting at the house of Qazi Ahmed.

Besides, nearly 100 PTI members and leaders including tehsil nazim Attock Qazi Khalid Mehmood, Sardar Mumtaz Khan, Rana Shaukat Ali Khan, Sardar Waheed, Akbar Tanooli and Waheed Murad were also present.

But Mr Amin was absent, although he was invited by the host, sources said.

The PTI leader while talking to Dawn on telephone admitted that he did not attend the meeting because morally regional election commissioner Qaisar Abbas advocate should not have attended the meeting. His presence has brought into question the transparency of party election.

It is also ethically wrong that intending candidates for 2013 elections and their family members are contesting intra-party elections, he maintained.

Mr Amin called upon the party leadership to ban aspiring candidates for the forthcoming general elections and their family member from contesting the party elections.

“Our prime focus should be on holding fair and transparent elections in the party to avoid any confusion among workers,” he stressed.

Qaisar Abbas and former regional coordinator Sadaqat Abbasi were not available to comment as they were not picking up their cell phones.—Our Correspondent