Second phase of LG polls: Poor performers to face action, Khattak warns PTI lawmakers

TIMERGARA: In a desperate attempt to salvage his party’s reputation, Federal Minister for Defence President Pervez Khattak on Monday said strict disciplinary action would be taken against those elected members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who were unable to ensure the victory of the party candidates in the second round of the local government elections.

Addressing workers’ convention in Lower Dir, Pervez Khattak, who is provincial head of the PTI, said that groupings could undermine the party, calling for unity to overcome the prevailing challenges.

He did not mince words and warned that the ones, who did not accept the party decision about the award of tickets, would face disciplinary actions. Pervez Khattak asked PTI workers and elected members to make every possible effort to win the maximum number of seats in the second phase of the local government elections being held in March.

He said the party would throw open its offices at tehsil headquarters where all the elected MPAs and MNAs would be made available round the clock to address grievances of the people. The defence minister urged workers to counter the propaganda of opposition about inflation. He said it was the Covid-19 pandemic due to which the entire world was facing inflation.

He said that all sorts of trades and businesses were affected in the USA, Saudi Arabia and Europe due to the rising cases of the Covid-19. Pervez Khattak said the workers were the real asset to the party and they deserved to be taken into confidence before making any decision, saying the second phase of local government elections was a matter of life and death for the PTI. He asked the elected members to finalize the names of the candidates for the upcoming election after consulting the party workers so that they could start the election campaign.