Swati claims rift over PTI tickets in Hazara ended

MANSEHRA: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday claimed that differences in the party ranks over the distribution of tickets in Hazara had been resolved.

"We have been facing rift at many national and provincial assemblies' constituencies in Hazara, which we settled after the marathon sessions in each constituency," Senator Azam Khan Swati, a central leader of the PTI told reporters here.

Flanked by local office-bearers of the party, including Malik Jabran and Ajmal Khan, Swati said the PTI would support an independent contender and dissident of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Saleh Mohammad Khan against Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf, the son of former federal minister for religious affairs Sardar Mohammad Yousuf in NA-13. "We have given a free hand to Saleh to either avail PTI ticket or run independently and now it is up to him to decide," he added.

The PTI leader said that they held prolonged discussions and asked the workers to field unanimous candidates. He said the party succeeded in doing so. The senator claimed that the party contenders, who had developed differences, might withdraw their nomination papers across Hazara.

He said that PTI might field female aspirants from three constituencies in Hazara. Also in the day, the PTI dissidents withdrew their nomination papers in support of party contenders. The district councillor Saeed Khan and member of the central executive body of PTI Aftab Shah withdrew nomination papers from returning officer in support of party-backed contender Shahzada Gustasab Khan in PK-34 in the presence of Senator Azam Khan Swati.

In Balakot, tehsil councillor Jamil Aslam Khan withdrew his nomination papers in support of former Member Provincial Assembly Mazhar Ali Qasim, a PTI-backed independent contender in PK-30.