Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is likely to be in trouble again, as the party has awarded tickets to candidates who were denied tickets by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for the local government elections being held in Punjab today (Saturday).
PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry admitted that most of the ticket holders had joined PTI after they were rejected by PML-N. He came with an interesting justification that lack of suitable candidates forced the party to award tickets to new entrants.
PTI which claims fighting the status quo has not given tickets to youngsters for the local government elections, which insiders say may create problems for the party. Former Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan said that there was a difference between parliamentary and local government elections because of the approach of voters. In local government elections, he says people give more importance to the candidate rather than the party or leaders of the political parties.
Meanwhile, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa told Business Recorder that in DG Khan, Central Secretary Jamiat Ahle Hadith Abdul Kareem had been given the authority to distribute PML-N tickets for the LG elections in the district. "It has annoyed many supporters of PML-N who opted to stand independent or join other parties," he added. He further argued that 'bradaries' was a key factor which was likely to influence the result of the LG elections.
He said that the ruling party had failed to address the core issues facing the common man, which would also impact the election result. Khosa said that the services of Returning Officers, Presiding Officers and other polling staff were taken from provincial departments like education and health based on the list recommended by PML-N's parliamentarians. Another politician Chaudhry Sher Ali said that the PML-N won in NA-122 with very short margin that showed the bad governance in Punjab.
A PTI worker claimed that the party had waited for the PML-N to stop issuing tickets for the upcoming elections in Punjab before it offered the rejected candidates of the rival parties to contest the polls on PTI tickets.
A tough contest is expected between the PML-N and PTI in the LG election in Union Council-115 (Rawalpindi), as both the parties' candidates hail from Raja 'biradri'.
PML-N Lahore President Pervaiz Malik said that it was very tough to distribute the party tickets for the LG elections, however it was done keeping the candidates' reputation and ability to serve people.
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