PTI intra-party polls put off over infighting

Imran says they will focus on movement for probe into Panama Leaks; adamant on holding party rally at F-9 Park

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday announced the postponement of intra-party polls, as the infighting in his party got intense.

Talking to media persons after presiding over a meeting of the senior party leadership here, he said that they wanted to fully concentrate on their movement for a probe into the Panama Leaks and invited other political parties, civil society, farmers and labourers to join it.

“We will wait till April 24 and whether or not the government agrees to an investigation into the Panama Leaks under the Supreme Court’s chief justice,” he asserted.The meeting decided to build momentum and try to win the support of other parties and segments of society to become part of the PTI’s planned drive, which will culminate in a sit-in at Raiwind for an indefinite period. Imran has taken a clear and categorical line unlike the other opposition parties, to take the Leaks issue to its logical conclusion, as he insists the names of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s children have appeared in these documents showing that they own offshore companies.

In defiance of Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan’s loud no to allowing the PTI to hold its foundation day public meeting at the F-9 Park or the Parade Ground, yards away from the Parliament House and other key state buildings, Imran said that it would be better for the government to let them have their show, as they would in any case at F-9 Park on April 24, the 20th foundation day of Imran’s party.

The PTI chairman said that they had chalked out a strategy with regards to their movement and planned march towards Raiwind and instructions had been conveyed to party leaders for preparations on this count.

Imran had managed to stage a 126-day sit-in in the federal capital for investigation into 2013 elections and had to call it off in the aftermath of massive terror, which hit the Army Public School in Peshawar.

He said that party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi had been given the mandate to reach out to other political parties and extend them invitation to be part of PTI’s movement. “It’s a golden opportunity to eliminate corruption from Pakistan and at this defining moment, if people still did not come out, then the rulers will continue to loot the nation this way, as reflected in the Panama Leaks,” the PTI chairman cautioned.

Replying to questions, Imran said that Panama Leaks was the issue of a political party, but of Pakistan. It is pertinent that PTI’s movement about two years back had united all political parties to support the shaky PML-N government. 

The PTI chairman said that intra-party election would be held not before the march on Raiwind and that a date for this purpose would be announced in due course of time. Insiders told The News that Imran had played smartly to avert more fissures in party ranks, following Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s assertion a day earlier that he would better quit politics instead of begging tickets from these people, referring to Jehangir Tareen and Muhammad Sarwar. 

“The planned power show at F-9 Park, followed by a march to Raiwind will help party to regroup, putting aside simmering tugs of war within its ranks,” they pointed out.   It is also not immediately clear whether or not PTI Chief Election Commission Senator Nauman Wazir was consulted on the decision regarding party election.