PESHAWAR, Feb 27: The old guards got hold of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf’s top slots in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as their representatives Asad Qaisar and Shaukat Yousafzai were elected provincial president and general secretary respectively in the intra-party elections here on Wednesday.  

Though Mr Qaisar and Mr Yousafzai took part in the intra-party elections from rival panels yet both of them are old comrades of PTI chief Imran Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Qaisar received 70 votes to become provincial president of PTI against his opponents Pervez Khan Khattak and Murad Saeed, who got 58 and 25 votes respectively.

Mr Yousafzai clinched 62 votes against his rivals Shah Farman, Ziaullah Afridi and Zahid Hussain Mohmand, who bagged 58, 23 and 6 votes respectively.

The intra-party elections of PTI, supervised by Advocate Qazi Mohammad Anwar, were held in a local hall in a peaceful manner. The results of elections brought solace to PTI old guards, who had lost the ground to the new entrants in many districts.

Khayal Zaman and Junaid Afridi were elected provincial senior vice-presidents of PTI and Azmat Ali Khan provincial deputy general secretary while the contest for the second seat of deputy general secretary between Ziaullah Bangash and Jam Saadat Khan tied when both polled 55 votes.

Announcing the results, Qazi Anwar said that Begum Naseem Hayat was elected provincial president and Nadia Sher Khan general secretary of the women wing of PTI.

Mr Yousafzai told journalists on the occasion that PTI workers set a trend that would be hard for other parties to follow. “It was a democratic exercise and a dream of Imran Khan has come true,” he said.

He said that PTI workers came from Chitral, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat and far-flung areas to show their commitment and determination and make the election a representative one in nature.

“The elections don’t mean anything for us. We just wanted to accomplish the PTI’s slogan of making a new Pakistan,” a defeated candidate said.

He said that one thing was very clear that workers could fight with each other in the unprecedented elections but they couldn’t ignore the ideology of Imran Khan. “We all rally around our leader. Elections are just a part of our struggle,” he said.

The PTI workers took part enthusiastically in the day-long process of electing their provincial office-bearers.

Mr Yousafzai, who contested 2002 general elections on PTI ticket from PK-86 Shangla, said that the landmark intra-party elections would instill a new spirit in the party workers, who were struggling to end injustices in the society and establish a uniformed education system and see a different Pakistan. Al the three panels — formed by old, new and young workers of PTI– accepted the results of intra-party elections.