Supporters of of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf shout slogans during a rally. — Photo by AFP/File

ATTOCK, Feb 26: A peasant here on Tuesday defeated a wealthy businessman and landlord and was elected the district president of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI). With elections for the 72 union councils of the district having been held three weeks ago, the intra-party election process in Attock is now complete.

The chairman of the PTI district election commission, Rafique Hussain Niazi, confirmed that peasant Waheed Murad garnered 432 votes while his rival Sardar Mumtaz Khan, a landlord, received 360. Murad had the support of Malik Suhail Khan, running for NA-58 Attock-II, and former MPA Syed Ejaz Bukhari, who is contesting PP-15 Attock-I. Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, who was elected unopposed to the position of district general secretary, and former state minister Malik Amin Aslam supported Mumtaz Khan.

The polling station, at a hotel in Attock, was crowded from the opening of voting at 9am until closing at 5pm.

Around 900 PTI workers from six tehsils gathered with supporters of both candidates attempting to gather votes. While some disagreements ensued – over mismanagement of the polling station or workers not being allowed to vote due to missing membership cards – leaders of both camps described the disagreement as positive and democratic. “After the elections, the PTI will be united,” they said.

In other elections, Mohammad Zubair Tanoli and Mohammad Faazil Khan Wardik were elected unopposed as the district’s senior vice-presidents.