RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will start membership campaign from Islamabad on February 25.

A PTI leader told Dawn that after Islamabad, the drive would be launched across the country, adding that the campaign was part of the intra-party elections.

“The campaign will continue for three months after which intra-party elections will be held before the local government polls in Punjab.”

He said the party chairman had formed a team, led by Arif Alvi and Saifullah Khan Niazi, to complete the homework for intra-party elections and membership campaign.

“There are two proposals under consideration of the team to expand the electoral college of the intra-party elections. There would be two categories of members - common members and those who participate in the intra-party elections after paying the membership fee,” he said.

He said the annual fee was not more than Rs50 per member. “It is just a proposal as the final decision will be taken after a meeting on February 22,” he said.

He said basically the party leadership was worried about grouping in the party after arrival of the leaders from different political parties as old workers and leaders felt discriminated against.

“Currently, the party is divided into two groups; one led by those members who joined the party after leaving the PML-Q and the second led by those who worked in the party for the last 10 years.”

He said the newcomers were against the intra-party elections as they wanted to run the affairs on the basis of appointment. However, he said the PTI chief, Imran Khan, was in favour of the intra-party elections. “The last intra-party elections were held in March 2013 and the new district and regional presidents were elected before the general elections.”

He said the former regional and district presidents, who were suspended in November 2014, had started a campaign to get back their slots in the intra-party elections.

When contacted, PTI Vice President Amir Kiyani confirmed that the party would launch a membership campaign in the country. In the first phase, membership would be opened in Islamabad from February 25. The campaign would continue for more than three months, he added.

To a question, he said the intra-party elections would be held after the campaign. However, the next party polls would take time and it would not be held in the coming months.

Published in Dawn February 11th , 2015

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