Proposal to skip PTI intra-party polls at UC level raises eyebrows

ISLAMABAD: A proposal to appoint the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) councillors and those, who were named but could not return in the local bodies polls, as the party presidents at union council level, has alarmed many in the party.

Weeks back, the PTI chairman Imran Khan had announced that the intra-party elections would be held down to the union council level and the process would be completed before April 25, the 20th foundation day of the party. But a controversial proposal, which if adopted, will effectively deny right of election to party members at grass roll level, can lead to noisy agitation.

The party’s election commission had at least two meetings in recent days on the subject at Bani Gala and the election commission office with Imran Khan and other top leaders. However, nothing had yet come out on this count, it is learnt. However, some party insiders told The News that now Imran was inclined to not having elected union council presidents and simply name councillors and even those, who failed to win in the local bodies polls.

They pointed out that the elected councillors and the defeated party candidates were not ideally picked up, as many had openly and secretly expressed their reservations and this had led to even groupings at the time of local bodies elections and even resulted in shocking losses to the party. Therefore, they emphasised that the proposal, if adopted, could not only undermine the whole process but also dent the party credentials as the only party to hold intra-party elections in a democratic and transparent manner.

“We fear, this will not stop here. Imran will like to continue with his trusted party leaders and aides, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen, Sarwar Khan and some others,” apprehended these PTI leaders, who did not wish to be identified for fear of being punished one way or the other. They emphasised that the party chairman could also push for a mechanism to ensuring that his team would remain intact even after the intra-party elections.

This correspondent tried to get viewpoint of the PTI chief election commissioner Tasnim Noorani, who did not reply to the short text message sent on his cell phone. 

The party’s central information secretary Naeemul Haq confirmed that a proposal had been floated and discussions were underway on it.

“No decision has been taken yet, as there are strong arguments in support of it and otherwise,” he emphasised. Asked who exactly had touted this proposal, he said it was one of the proposals being discussed currently.

Farrukh Dall, who is spokesman for the PTI election commission, also confirmed that this proposal was under deliberations, as the election system was being thrashed out, to ready within two to three weeks.

He noted that a PTI committee was sharing and debating proposals with the Election Commission, which would decide the final course and then send it to the party chairman for final approval. “It is the Election Commission, which will decide,” was his reply, when asked was Imran strongly in favour of not having intra-party polls at union council level. 

The first intra-party elections, though a daring step, had been a disaster and Imran himself realises that the mistakes made earlier would not be repeated this time.