PTI being strengthened at grassroot level, says Pervez Khattak

HARIPUR: Federal Minister for Defence and president Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak on Saturday said that his party would emerge victorious in the next elections as the party was being strengthened at grassroots level.

This he said while speaking to the newly-elected local government representatives and party workers from different union councils here.

He said he had taken over the command party's provincial chapter in a difficult situation and was committed to strengthen the PTI’s position in the next six months.

The election for the first phase of LBs was difficult due to multiple reasons but the media and the opposition were attributing it to the public backlash against the PTI, he said.

"It's not correct to analyse that price -hike was the reason for the defeat of ruling PTI because it’s a global phenomenon," he said, adding that neither the media nor the opposition have anything cogent to share as an alternative plan.

The federal minister also came down hard on the media for what he said the media trial of Imran Khan and the PTI.

The media was highlighting the success of some opposition parties' nominees in the recent phase of LB election but did not bother to inform the people that PTI has emerged as the highest vote taking party that has also brought an end to the politics of some of the political parties once and for all.

He said that positive and constructive criticism was always welcomed by his party but the move to singling out of PTI and conduct its media trial was unjust and unacceptable by its workers.

About the party's reorganization, the former chief minister said that he was going to form committees at the grassroots level.

He said that the committee members would decide who should be their tehsil and district presidents, instead of any recommendation from outside.

"Do not try to seek offices in the party on the basis of someone else's recommendations. I will not give you any party office unless you have proved your worth by showing some tangible performance for the PTI," he said and warned that he was not going to accept any sifarish.

He said that these grassroots level committees would recommend and approve future development schemes in their own presence.

About his loyalty towards the party and he made it clear that he was with Imran Khan and would continue to be loyal in future.

Later the newly-elected VC/NC chairmen, councillors and political activists announced to join the PTI by filing the party's basic membership forms.

Federal minister Omar Ayub Khan, MNA Saleh Muhammad Khan, MPA Akbar Ayub Khan, provincial minister Arshad Ayub Khan were prominent among those who spoke to the participants.