Protest forces PTI to reconsider candidates for Islamabad seats

ISLAMABAD: The threat of staging sit-in at Banigala against dropping name of local politician Ch. Ilyas Meharban from running for NA-53 forced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf parliamentary board to reconsider candidates for Islamabad’s three seats of the National Assembly.

In a late night sitting, the board had finalised three names: Asad Umar, Amir Kayani and Raja Khurram Nawaz. Over 20 party members had applied for these NA seats. Ilyas Meharban is considered by many in the party as a strong candidate, who had been runner up in 2013 elections, whereas PPP’s candidate Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar remained third in terms of tally of votes. Ilyas Meharban’s supporters were shocked to learn that he had been not included in the final list of PTI candidates, who would be contesting from Islamabad. They announced to go to Banigala and stage sit-in outside Imran’s residence till the polling day.

However, they were informed by PTI that Imran had summoned an emergency meeting of the board within hours to reconsider the nominations, particularly the NA-53 candidature. “Kayani is president of PTI’s North Region and can contest from any of NA constituencies but to set aside name of a local aspirant, who is a committed and dedicated worker is not acceptable to us,” said one of his supporters, while talking to The News. He said they had deferred the protest till the time the board meets to take up the matter and it is to meet within 24 hours.