LAHORE, April 4: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Lahore, elected members on Thursday revolted against party’s Central Parliamentary Board’s (CPB) controversial decision of awarding tickets “to outsiders and non-elected persons” for national and provincial assembly seats in the city.

About a dozen PTI candidates nominated for provincial and national assembly seats announced returning their party tickets in protest to express their unity with the elected members from 10 towns in Lahore, who were ignored.

PTI central information secretary Shafqat Mahmood said no candidate had so far been granted party ticket and the final list of candidates would be issued after scrutiny on April 8. “Everybody has a right to protest and appeal against any wrong decision,” he said.

PTI Lahore district president Abdul Aleem Khan also announced returning party tickets issued to him for NA-127 and PP-147. He said PTI must adhere to its slogan that “party members will elect their leaders”. He said the party’s CPB did not honour the recommendations of the Lahore District Parliamentary Board and re-shuffled candidates like “public servants”.

Those, who have announced returning party tickets, include Mian Hamid Meraj (NA-123), Talib Sindhu (NA-130), Muhammad Yameen Tipu (PP-144), Mian Iftikhar (PP-145), Jamshaid Iqbal Cheema (PP-146), Hamid Sarwar (PP-157) and others.

The CPB’s announcement of party tickets for Lahore national and provincial assembly seats drew strong resentment on Thursday and all elected representatives from towns and district level approached Lahore district president Aleem Khan at The Mall office and recorded their protest. It is learnt that the elected representatives stated that the party’s CPB did not consider the genuine elected leaders and gave party tickets to outsiders and non-elected persons.

Most of Lahore town’s elected members said that they were shocked for being ignored. An elected representative from Lahore Cantt said that as many as eight candidates were recommended (to select from) for award of party ticket but all of them were ignored. The visibly agitated elected leaders said the party had also awarded tickets to such candidates, who had not applied for. They protested against the award of tickets to different candidates including Hafiz Farhat Abbas (PP-155), Haji Fayyaz (PP-151) and PTI intra-party chief election commissioner Hamid Khan (NA-125). It is learnt that Muhammad Madni was awarded ticket, though he did not want to contest election from NA-119.

They also stated that party’s workers and elected representatives including Shoaib Siddiqui and Farrukh Javed Moon were denied party tickets, while Jamshaid Iqbal Cheema was nominated for PA seat instead of MNA slot.

Talking to Dawn, Aleem Khan said the genuine party workers, who made thousands of people as PTI members and then won elections at union council, town and district levels, should not be ignored by the party leadership. “The elected representatives are demanding their right and not begging for seats,” he asserted.

He regretted that the CPB had picked only one out of nine elected town presidents for party tickets in Lahore.

Aleem Khan strongly criticised the nomination of Hamid Khan (NA-125) and Hafiz Farhat Abbas (PP-155) stating that they were outsiders in the respective constituencies. He also lambasted Shafqat Mahmood for imposing decisions on elected representatives.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over CPB’s constitution, Aleem Khan said, a few leaders could not judge the true representatives in all constituencies in the country. “The respective district’s presidents, general secretaries as well as town presidents should be part of the meeting while deciding nominations for party tickets.”

Meanwhile, a senior PTI leader requesting anonymity said party chief Imran Khan could not be blackmailed by negative tactics.

When contacted, Shafqat Mahmood said the protesters should follow a proper process of filing objections for redressal of their grievances. He said the CPB was the final authority to recommend candidates across the country. He said the respective districts and provinces’ parliamentary boards had recommended three candidates for each constituency. Besides, he said, many candidates had also applied directly to the CPB for party tickets. “In almost 90 per cent cases, the CPB had picked candidates recommended by the districts and provinces’ parliamentary boards,” he claimed.