Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Infighting in the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) took centre stage on Friday as two party heavyweights from southern Punjab exchanged barbs publicly.

Meanwhile, PTI chairman Imran Khan announced that he would take a final decision, ending the controversy over distribution of party tickets in three days.

At a press conference in Islamabad, PTI senior vice president Shah Mahmood Qureshi targeted the party’s former general secretary Jahangir Tareen, saying that he did not consider him [Tareen] a competitor since he wasn’t even eligible to contest elections.

Qureshi, who is the caretaker of the shrines of Shah Rukne Alam and Bahauddin Zakariya of the Suhrawardia Sufi order, said that he believed in competing only in the electoral arena. “My competition is in the political arena and a person who cannot even contest the election is not my competitor,” the PTI leader said, adding, “I am not insane to compete with Tareen.”

Qureshi also spoke about internal rifts in the party and the ongoing protests over tickets distribution.

Referring to the sit-in underway at Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence, he said it was a fundamental right of workers to register their protest with the party leadership over their grievances. However, he said no one should be allowed to conspire against the party.

Taking a jibe at Tareen for allegedly supporting Sikandar Hayat Bosan, a key electable in Multan region, against him, Qureshi said, “Who is supporting, and who wants to bring him forward? Why don’t they own their decision to support Bosan?”

Dismissing accusations of nepotism in ticket distribution, he said, “I feel for the protesting party workers,” adding, however, that the final decision to distribute tickets would be made by the party chief.

“I have no objections to anyone and I will not insist on bringing my relatives in the party. I will never give preference to any relative over my ideology,” he said.

The cold war between Qureshi and Tareen, who along with PTI central Punjab president Aleem Khan is known for his financial clout in the party, has been underway for quite sometime over leadership role in the centre.

Addressing a press conference later in the day, Tareen said he would respond to Qureshi after listening to his talk. “I do not like talking against anyone,” he said, adding that Qureshi should not shift blame [on him] and instead resolve grievances of the residents of his district.

Tareen said he was used to resolving issues within the party. He dismissed the suggestion that the ongoing protests would have a detrimental effect on the party.

Further, he said he was an ordinary party worker and he sought no personal benefits from his position. He said all PTI workers were working to attain a single goal to make Imran Khan the next prime minister of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, PTI chairman Imran Khan announced on Friday that he would take a final decision on the award of tickets in next three days.

He was addressing the disgruntled party workers camped outside his Bani Gala residence.

Khan said the only criteria that would be taken into consideration for tickets was merit. “It doesn’t matter if you joined the party early or late. We’re contesting elections to win. We can only bring change once we win the polls,” he said.

Further, Khan said allotment of tickets to women was the most difficult part of the process.

He said 4,500 candidates had applied for tickets. “We have reviewed our decisions where ever there have been reservations,” he said, adding that the last three days were the most difficult of his life. “I spent 126 days in the sit-in, but the last three days were way more difficult,” he said.

The PTI chairman also announced to kick-off nationwide election campaign from Mianwali on Sunday. “We will start campaign from Mianwali’s hockey stadium.”

Published in Daily Times, June 23^rd 2018.