MPs vacating seats want PTI to nominate relatives for by-polls

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan would face another test while awarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tickets for the by-elections to be held on October 14 as those who vacated these assembly seats want their close family members to be awarded the party tickets.

Imran Khan has always spoken against dynastic politics, particularly in the two former ruling parties, PML-N and PPP. However, he had to make compromises in the recent past when some of his party leaders got the PTI tickets for their sons, brothers, son-in-laws or other close relations in the general election or by-elections.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Prime Minister would have to decide whether the PTI tickets for the two provincial assembly seats vacated by former chief minister Pervez Khattak in Nowshera district would go to the latter’s nominees – his son or brother -, or someone else. Pervez Khattak kept his National Assembly seat after Imran Khan persuaded him not to insist on becoming the chief minister again. He was made defence minister in the federal cabinet, but still seems keen to retain influence in KP politics through his family members and supporters. There are reports that Pervez Khattak may seek the PTI tickets for his son, Ishaq Khattak, and brother, Liaqat Khattak, to contest for the provincial assembly seats on which by-election would be held on October 14. As Liaqat Khattak is Nowshera District Nazim, Pervez Khattak may seek the PTI ticket for another brother or a nephew, who is Tehsil Nazim in Nowshera.

Asad Qaiser, the newly elected Speaker of the National Assembly has also vacated his provincial assembly seat in Swabi district. He retained his National Assembly seat that he also won from his native Swabi. It is said he wants the PTI ticket for his brother Aqibullah Khan for contesting the provincial assembly seat. After the 2013 general election also, Asad Qaiser kept his provincial assembly seat and became the Speaker of the KP Assembly. He vacated his National Assembly seat on that occasion and got the PTI ticket for his brother Aqibullah Khan, who won the by-election and became an MNA.

Ali Amin Gandapur, the former provincial minister, also won two seats. On Imran Khan’s instructions, he kept his National Assembly seat from Dera Ismail Khan and vacated the one in the KP Assembly. There are reports that he wants the PTI ticket for one of his brothers. However, the decision hasn’t been made public yet.

Former provincial minister Shah Farman, who lost one provincial assembly seat and won another from rural Peshawar in the July 25 general election, has been named by the Prime Minister as the Governor of KP. As by-election would be held on the provincial assembly seat that he is going to vacate, he would like one of his nominees to contest the by-election. There are reports that he wants one of his brothers to get the PTI ticket for the bypolls.

Dr Haider Ali, who won a National Assembly and a KP Assembly seat from Peshawar, has already vacated the latter for which by-election would be held on October 14. It isn’t

clear who will get the PTI ticket for the by-election.

Also in Swat, Dr Amjad Ali Khan won two provincial assembly seats. The by-election on one of the seats vacated by him would also be held on October 14.

It is possible that Dr Haider Ali and Dr Amjad Ali have someone in mind as the PTI ticket-holder for contesting the by-election on the two provincial assembly seats vacated by them. The decision about the PTI tickets would have to be taken in the next few days because the nomination papers must be deposited from August 28-30.

If the sons or brothers of the PTI leaders who vacated these seats get the party tickets for the by-elections, Imran Khan would face criticism for tolerating dynastic politics in his party. He would be criticized for saying one thing and doing the opposite.