No PTI woman candidate for Cantt, Walton polls

LAHORE
Much to disappointment of its women wing and female workers, PTI has not awarded ticket to any woman aspirant for upcoming Lahore Cantonment and Walton Board elections.
On total 20 seats, including 10 of both Walton and Cantonment Boards each, PTI has not pitched any woman candidate, which has caused huge disappointment for the women activists.
This decision by the PTI leadership has come to stark contrast to the claims it has been regularly making in public or party meetings in support of women empowerment, particularly since the PTI transformed into a mainstream political force.
On number of occasions, whether it was the October 2011 Minar-e-Pakistan gathering addressed by Imran, or the August 2014 long march followed by four months long sit-in at the Federal Capital against the PML-N government, women from Lahore have shown remarkable enthusiasm by turning up to these events in record numbers on the call of the party chairman. Even in the NA-125 polls from whose results had been declared controversial by PTI, the women activists had a key role in bagging votes for Hamid Khan, the party candidate against Khawaja Saad Rafique. In the area of Cantt and Walton, the polls were being held after a long gap and PTI is participating in it for the first time, but having no women candidate in 20 seats.
Unfortunately, once again personal likes and dislikes cold war among the Lahore PTI leaders and lack of consultation with local ticket holders resulted in the cornering of committed party figures. Sources stated that party women activists including Shahnaz Khan, Munazza Rasheed and Naseem Zahra were among the key aspirants who were not awarded ticket by the party Lahore chapter, which is led by Abdul Aleem Khan, former IT Minister of Ch Pervaiz Elahi in Musharraf era.
From Ward 4, Cantt, sources stated that Shahnaz Khan was awarded the party ticket and she had started campaign but it was later withdrawn and Faisal Awan was preferred for the slot. The matter was also brought into the notice of party Chairman Imran Khan but women workers were quite plainly told that ‘time is over now’ said a disgruntled party members requesting anonymity.
Insiders stated that most of the decisions regarding the Cantt and Walton Board have been taken by the Lahore organisations whereas lack of interest shown in constituency by Hamid Khan, the party ticket holder from NA-125, which covers entire Walton and Cantt area, after the 2013 elections is also another reason among resentment of party workers. Sources stated most of the women workers and office-bearers are also annoyed over the fact that their applications were not considered sincerely by the party board which also comprised of former governor Ch Sarwar as well as some of the senior party figures.
PTI secretary information Andleeb Abbas stated the party’s priority was to field most suitable candidates and there was no gender discrimination issue.
The PTI candidates who are contesting for 10 Cantonment wards include Muhammad Ali Khan from Ward 1, Ch Ikhlaq Hussain from Ward 2, Rasheed Ahmed from Ward 3, Faisal Awan from Ward 4, Raja Shahzad from Ward 5, Umer Talib from Ward 7, Haji Atiq from Ward 8, Nazakat Ali from Ward 9 and Ilyas Bhatti from Ward 10.
For Walton, the PTI candidates include Muhammad Ehsan, Malik Tahir, Faisal Hakim, Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Akbar, Rana Sajid, Nasir Shahid Lodhi, Rao Irshad, Sheikh Basharat and Ch Akhter. Polling for these slots will take place on April 25.