Upcoming LG polls and PTI’s dilemma in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) emerged victorious in Cantonment Board elections of April 25 by winning three out of five seats in Abbottabad.
Out of total of nine seats in the district (two each in Kalabagh and Havelian Cantonment being almost symbolic), the PTI has an edge as other seats are won either by independents or PML-N.
Distribution of tickets in cantonment board elections led to bickering among party workers, especially those who claim to be founding members. They hold a claim that their choice was ignored and new, rather back-door, entrants were accommodated. However, the results proved that ultimately the electable were elected.
The local government polls are around the corner. Things for PTI are trickier than ever. After having so many background interviews with local and provincial level leadership, it appears that there are workers in the PTI who are not satisfied with tickets’ distribution.
There are two visible groups of PTI in Abbottabad district - one being led by district president Sardar Sher Bahadur and Ali Asghar Khan (son of Asghar Khan) while the other one being backed by PTI’s elected representatives Dr Azhar Jadoon, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Qalandar Khan Lodhi and former federal minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon.
Distribution of tickets for upcoming local government elections among PTI candidates has become such a thorny issue that many a party stalwarts are on record to oppose party’s policy and openly alleged that party’s provincial chief Azam Khan Swati is bent on destroying the party in Hazara.
When contacted, Dr Azhar Jadoon, MNA of PTI from Abbottabad, said: “Obviously our party needs electable candidates for the upcoming elections but at the same time we are trying to accommodate old timers.”
Dr Azhar, who has recently resigned from the parliamentary board (tasked to award tickets) of the party, stressed the need to blend old timers with the new entrants. Ali Khan Jadoon, the younger son of Amanullah Khan Jadoon, is being tipped as PTI candidate for the post of district chairman/nazim. Col (R) Sardar Shabbir, son of former deputy speaker National Assembly Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob, is PTI’s candidate for tehsil level polls. In the prevailing scenario, the PML-N is either playing second fiddle or holding cards close to chest.
Wherever the PTI is divided over party tickets, the PML-N is supposed to reap the fruits. So far there seems no major issue of bickering among PML-N candidates as far as award of party tickets is concerned. The PML-N also has two groups (although invisible) in Abbottabad district. One backed by Sardar Mahtab Ahmed Khan, governor KP, and other by Murtaza Javed Abbasi, deputy speaker National Assembly.
Political analysts say that Sardar Mahtab is so good at maneuvering things that he might be able to spring a surprise at the last moment by striking a deal with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, as some believe, he had done during by-election on PK-45 in June last year.