ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is set to release the final list of its candidates by June 25 amid speculations that it may expose the party Chairman Imran Khan to more problems.
Khan will begin his formal poll campaign from Mianwali from Sunday (today).
No other party has faced the kind of protests the PTI had to, as scores of party activists and workers from the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa picketed outside Imran’s residence in Banigala questioning the award of tickets.
However, mostly those who were strongly opposed to the award of ticket to former federal minister and PML-N ex-legislator Sikandar Bosan left Banigala only after Imran made a ‘pacifying speech’ to them Friday evening.
Bosan had recently joined the PTI.
Imran said (contrary to his previous stance) winning elections was the top priority of his party and it was possible only through electable candidates.
He also there was no question of new and old workers.
Imran said, “We worked 12 hours a day to decide about the tickets. We received as many as 4,500 applications for tickets and awarded around 550 tickets. After observing reaction to ticket distribution, I decided to review the process. I have been working on it for the last one week and have also got surveys conducted in many areas to ensure fair distribution of tickets”.
However, Imran maintained there were complaints about only 10 per cent tickets but during the review process it was observed that there was almost no difference between the candidates who were awarded tickets and who were not.
“The final list is most likely to be released on June 25 and it is too early to say about it,” said PTI Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry when The News approached him on telephone.
Fawad is in his native town Jhelum in connection with his election campaign.
Imran will leave for Mianwali Sunday afternoon by helicopter to speak to a poll-related public meeting there, as he is also a candidate from this district for the National Assembly’s seat.
He is expected to return by road, party sources said.
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