JUI-F divided on mechanism to allocate Senate tickets

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) has sharply been divided on question of amending the party constitution to re-delegate powers of allotment of tickets to party candidates for the upcoming Senate polls to the central body instead of provinces.
Led by party veteran Maulana Muhammad Khan Shirani, a group including Senator Maulana Gul Nasib, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter president, opposed the amendment describing it an attempt to bring in the relatives and family members of the party top leaders in the upcoming Senate polls.
The process, even if the amendment is passed by the party’s central shoora, will start after February 2 next.According to insiders, Shirani, who was dethroned as Balochistan party chapter president in the recently held elections, said “This amendment was aimed at establishing family hegemony in Senate polls by filling all the seats by the near and dear ones (of central leaders) as was done in the 2013 elections.” It would be recalled that opponents of party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had strongly criticised naming of his son and brother for two National Assembly seats in the by-polls in KP against the wish of district general council’s recommendation.
Party’s secretary information Hafiz Hussain Ahmed confirmed the report about differences. According to the original constitution of the party, power to allot tickets was with the central body which was delegated to the province by amending the concerned section. According to the present criteria, the district general councils recommend the names of probable candidates to the provincial body which decides final list of candidates while the central body only arbitrates where a dispute erupts in the provincial body. According to the proposed amendment
The party’s general council (Majlise Shoora) was asked to decide the matter within one week, said Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, and it has been convened for February 2. However, the sources said that all efforts of wooing Shirani and Gul Nasibbut have failed so far. They said majority of the party leadership including Maulana Ghafoor Haideri was in support of the amendment. He said two changes were sought and one of them is about extending the tenure of party’s body to five years from three years was approved while second about shifting powers from provinces to central body could not be passed.