CHAKWAL, April 21: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) faced a setback in Chakwal as two local leaders defected to the Pakistan Muslim League-N, while the PTI’s district president has moved to the United States and left the party.
The two leaders, Naeem Akram and Labiba Iffat Qazi (former District President of PTI’s Women Wing), have announced joining the PML-N in a press conference held at a local hotel here on Sunday.
Lt Gen (retired) Abdul Qayyum, Major (retired) Tahir Iqbal, former district president Advocate Zia-ul-Hassan Zaidi, Chaudhry Haider Sultan and other PML-N leaders were present at the occasion.
Speaking at the occasion, Naeem Akram (who was an aspirant for PP-20 but was denied the party ticket) termed Imran Khan as a ‘dictator’ and ‘cheater’.
He said he had joined the PTI in 2006 believing Imran Khan would stand with principles and merit.
“Imran Khan is worse than Hitler and Mussolini and is a cheater,” he said, adding that he and hundreds of other PTI workers were dejected when the real face of Imran Khan was exposed.
“The merit and principles have been violated while awarding the tickets, so we have been forced to quit the party,” Naeem Akram said.
His brother, Rizwan Akram, who was the PTI’s district president, has also quit the party and moved to the United States.
Labiba Iffat Qazi said she had joined the PTI ten years ago.
“I, along with other women colleagues, have strained every nerve to strengthen the party in the district but our sacrifices were not even acknowledged,” she said.
“The sixth clause of the ability form of PTI suggested that the ticket would be awarded to those who had joined the party at least six months ago. But the tickets in Chakwal were given to those who had joined only two month ago,” she maintained.
She said candidates recommended by the District Chapter of PTI were not even called for an interview, and the tickets were given against the recommendations of the local chapter.
“When Sardar Ghulam Abbas joined PTI, we were shocked but kept on tolerating the injustice and violation of the party’s policy. We can no longer tolerate such violation of merit,” she added.
Ms Qazi said she and Naeem Akram, along with their supporters, would work hard for the PML-N.PML-N leaders Abdul Qayum and Tahir Iqbal welcomed the newcomers in the party, and said the party would sweep the polls and take the country out of its present crises.
PTI’s General Secretary, when contacted, said Ms Qazi and Naeem Akram had left because they had been denied the party ticket, adding that the ticket had been awarded purely based on merit.
Referring to the clause pointed out by Ms. Qazi, he said the clause had been deleted even before the parliamentary board had been set up.