Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has said he will review complaints raised by candidates who did not receive nomination tickets for the upcoming Punjab assembly elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan extended the last date of submission of party tickets until 26 April. Disputes have been reported on 20% of the seats, with 80% of the tickets having been given to “deserving candidates”. Decisions on 12 seats remain pending and Imran Khan has awarded 285 tickets to candidates.
Before he could begin the review process, supporters of some candidates began protesting. Four committees have been set up to discuss the complaints raised and recommend adjustments to the final list. The North Punjab review committee is headed by retired brigadier Musadiq Abbasi, the Central Punjab review committee is headed by senator Ejaz Chaudhry, the West Punjab review committee is headed by Hassan Nawaz and the South Punjab review committee is headed by Aon Abbas Bappi.
PTI officials have said that the conflict is among candidates who submitted nomination papers for respective constituencies because they felt they were better suited to represent those areas. Imran Khan facilitated the ex-Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid e Azam) (PML-(Q)) group’s leaders and awarded tickets to 10 leaders from the party, whose one faction has now merged with the PTI. The final list of candidates left out many big names including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Hammad Azhar. Shahbaz Gill, whose alleged torture at the hands of the police has often been raised by Imran Khan to rouse his party workers, was also denied a ticket.
Khan has said he would personally interview candidates before handing them the nomination tickets. The Dawn cited PTI officials as saying that with these big players out, two leaders – newly-inducted PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Usman Buzdar – are in the pole position to become Punjab province chief minister, if voted to power.
