PESHAWAR: The disgruntled workers of PTI in Malakand have urged the leadership to withdraw tickets from NA-8 candidate Junaid Khan and PK-19 candidate Mussawir Khan otherwise they will not support them in the elections and responsibility of their failure will rest with the local members of parliamentary board of the party.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Nek Mohammad Khan of Dargai, a close aide of PTI chief Imran Khan, said that ticket for PK-19 and NA-8 had been awarded to the people, who were facing strong resistance in the party.

He said that former MNA Junaid Khan was awarded ticket for NA-8 but he had already disappointed workers by shifting to Islamabad after getting elected a lawmaker.

Five of disgruntled members of party are candidates for NA-8 and 13 for PK-19

Flanked by many members of district and tehsil councils of Malakand including Advocate Raziq Jan, Mian Islam Bacha, Haji Mohammad Hayat, Dr Fazal Hayat, Sabz Ali Khan, Yasir Khan and Advocate Arshad, Mr Khan said that five of the disgruntled workers were candidates for NA-8 and 13 for PK-19.

He said that PTI ticket holder for PK-19 Mussawir was not a highly educated man but possessed wealth. He PTI parliamentary board members Mehmood Khan and Murad Saeed had recommended him for ticket that disappointed the senior workers of the party.

“We have time and again tried to give a detailed briefing to Imran Khan in Banigala but he did not bother to give us sufficient time for the purpose,” said Mr Khan. He added that PTI president in Malakand Mehmood Khan and Murad Saeed being members of the parliamentary board awarded tickets to people on basis of personal relations that damaged the party.

Speaking on the occasion, Mian Islam Bacha and Advocate Raziq Jan said that the disgruntled workers would remain in the party but they would not support the two ticket holders. He said that they would support PK-18 candidate Shakeel Khan as he was popular among the workers.

The annoyed workers of PTI said that Imran Khan had assured them to interview the candidates personally and select them on merit but he did not keep his words and left the process at the mercy of ‘biased’ members of parliamentary board.

They said that only solution to the issue was proper inquiry to ascertain as to why the tickets were awarded in violation of the criteria set by PTI for candidates.

“We have joined PTI with the hope that Imran Khan will keep his words to launch a movement against corruption but he himself negated his commitment by awarding tickets to the people involved in corruption during different governments,” they said.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2018