PESHAWAR, Dec 9: The workers of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf have expressed concern over two days extension in the last date for submission of nomination papers for intra-party elections and mistakes in the electoral lists and asked the party chairman, Imran Khan, to take immediate notice of the issues.

“The last date for submission of nomination papers for election in Peshawar valley has been revised for third time from Dec 8 to Dec 10, which would enable the candidates to forge alliances and find ways for manipulation,” said a senior PTI worker, also contesting election scheduled for Dec 26 and 27.

The activists also said that they had sent complaints about mistakes in electoral lists, but no action was forthcoming and urged the party chief to intervene.

“We have registered 50,000 people in membership campaign in Town-I, but only 16,000 has been registered by the election commission. Names of senior party members have been omitted deliberately,” a PTI worker from Mardan told Dawn.

They said that persons from one area had been registered in other area, which caused confusion and doubts over the polls.

Before correction of voter lists the election is meaningless, they said and claimed that 90 per cent of the lists were incorrect.

They feared that the newcomers might be hatching a conspiracy to highjack the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PTI workers are confident that Imran Khan was the most sincere political leader in Pakistan and had initiated the basic democracy in the party, but some elements are out to sabotage his efforts.

Peshawar region has been in the focus of newcomers from where candidates fielded by old party workers on all portfolios have already been elected unopposed.

The UC level election for Peshawar valley, including Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda and Nowshera, will be followed by PTI’s polls in southern districts on Dec 18. The party has already held election in Islamabad on Nov 18.

Each UC will elect 13 office-bearers in direct election that will constitute electoral college for respective town, district and the province. Members would visit polling booth to cast their electronic votes through SMS.

The workers said that they stood by Mr Khan through his long struggle, but strangers had joined it now to serve their vested interests.

PTI activists from Charsadda are also perturbed over the elections and expressed reservations about delayed process of polls. Requesting anonymity, they said that they would go to court if action was not taken on complaints they had recorded with district election commissioner.

Many others said that they would boycott the poll process if it was not conducted in line with party’s vision and programme.

Opinion

Editorial

Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...
Under siege
Updated 03 May, 2024

Under siege

Whether through direct censorship, withholding advertising, harassment or violence, the press in Pakistan navigates a hazardous terrain.
Meddlesome ways
03 May, 2024

Meddlesome ways

AFTER this week’s proceedings in the so-called ‘meddling case’, it appears that the majority of judges...
Mass transit mess
03 May, 2024

Mass transit mess

THAT Karachi — one of the world’s largest megacities — does not have a mass transit system worth the name is ...