ISLAMABAD: Ticket allocations for the upcoming general elections have caused an uproar within the PTI, particularly in KP where a group of influential party leaders, some of whom were vying for the position of chief minister, have been denied provincial seats and allocated National Assembly tickets.
According to PTI sources, all the influential contenders for the slot of KP CMship have been allocated National Assembly tickets to pave the way for Ali Amin Gandapur as possible chief minister of KP if the party wins the Feb 8 elections.
One of the party leaders, who is closely watching this infighting within the PTI, confided to The News that this is a clash between the PTI’s establishment and an over ambitious lot. According to one of the party leaders, who has also been allocated a National Assembly ticket in KP, there are also allegations about irregularities in ticket allocations in almost a dozen cases.
The PTI sources said that the likes of Asad Qasier, Atif Khan, Shah Farman, Shahram Tarakai, Junaid Khan and Sheheryar Khan Afridi were not being allotted KP Assembly tickets and were asked by the party to contest for the National Assembly only. It is not confirmed whether anyone of them finally got the KP Assembly ticket.
These leaders are protesting that despite their seniority in the party, they have not been consulted in the ticket allocation exercise. They also conveyed a message to the founder chairman of PTI Imran Khan to express their no-confidence in the ticket allocation exercise.
Shared by a party source, the message for Imran Khan reads, “The youth, ISF (Insaf Student Federation), ILF (Insaf Lawyers Forum), Women Wing and other party workers are in a state of disorder and frustration. They have serious concerns and grievances on the distribution of party tickets.” The message also conveyed that Asad Qaiser, Atif Khan, Shahram Tarakai, Shah Farman, Junaid Khan and Shakil Khan have thoroughly discussed this issue and they don’t have any information about any list of the candidates.
The message added, “We collectively and humbly request you to immediately constitute a grievance committee which should listen to the concerns and grievances and address their concerns as per your directions and we bring all the scenario in your kind notice so that party may be kept safe from any loss at this struggling time.” The frustrated lot in the KP sees Aleema Khan, Shibli Faraz, Ali Ameen Gandapur, Rauf Hasan and Hamid Khan as the PTI’s establishment which, it is alleged, takes key decisions without addressing the grievances of party leaders and workers. Rauf Hasan, Secretary Information of the PTI, when approached for comments on the protest within the party over the allocation of party tickets, got upset and asked if there was any press release or statement issued about any such protest. Hasan questioned the source of The News information for which he was approached for comments. He said this correspondent’s information was patently incorrect.
