Differences crop up in PTI Swabi chapter

SWABI: Serious differences have surfaced in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Swab chapter as a number of its local leaders and workers categorically stated that the imposed decisions of a few leaders were not acceptable to them, sources said on Tuesday.

The sources added the PTI workers felt that National Assembly former speaker Asad Qaiser had dominated the policies of the party and even Shahram Tarakai was not given much importance and this had created a sense of deprivation among his supporters.

The sources said Asad Qaiser held a meeting with his supporters in Islamabad a few days ago to discuss how to counter the moves of the party leaders and workers who opposed him.

The workers vowed to resist the heavyweights with full strength, the sources said, adding that the Asad Qaiser’s supporters believed that candidates for the next general election would be nominated in consultation with them.

The said that Asad Qaiser contested the 2013 and 2018 general election from two constituencies each time and later his brother Aqibullah contested elections twice on his vacated seats and got elected an MNA and later as MPA.

Sources said that the party workers believed that the PTI did not belong to Asad Qaiser and he should give due respect to the workers.

Similarly, Shahram and his uncle Mohammad Ali Tarakai were elected twice and were awarded tickets by the party, said the sources, adding that now Asad Qaiser and Shahram’s family members were eyeing tickets for the next general election as well and they were not ready to give a chance to anyone else, said the sources.

When contacted, a local PTI leader Mohammad Khitab said that they held various jirga meetings where it was discussed that candidates for the next general election should be given tickets with consensus of the workers and if they were ignored they would field their own candidate.

“We respect the party leaders, including heavyweights, but they must stop imposing their decisions on workers. It is against the party’s manifesto and democratic principles,” he said.

On being contacted, various other PTI local leaders and workers expressed similar views.

They said that the senior leaders should avoid imposing decisions on the workers as they would not remain silent this time and this would cause divisions in the party.