ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will once again review the award of party tickets to candidates for the upcoming Senate polls.
According to the reports, Prime Minister Imran Khan called an emergency meeting of the PTI parliamentary board after party workers objected to the distribution of tickets in the Senate elections.
The reports indicated that some decision might be changed. It is expected that few changes will be taken within the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, PM Imran Khan stressed that all tickets will be issued based on merit. Parachuters will not allow contesting the elections.
On the other side, PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter raised objections over the nomination. Two changes are expected from the KP, Faisal Saleem and Naji Ullah Khattak. It is expected that Liaqat Khan Tarqai and Dilroz Khan will replace them.
PTI’s Sindh chapter also raises serious concern about the nomination. The PTI members said that they had a problem with the selection of Faisal Vawda and Saifullah Abro. Senate tickets being given to Federal Minister Faisal Vawda and wealthy construction contractor Saifullah Abro has created a rift among PTI leaders from Sindh. They have written a letter to Sindh Governor Imran Ismail over it.
“We are extremely disappointed with the entire process of the selection of PTI’s candidates for the Senate polls,” the letter stated. key party leaders are demanding to take back tickets from Vawda and Abro.
Meanwhile, PTI MNA from Karachi, Dr Aamir Liaquat Hussian has announced not to vote for Abdul Hafeez Sheikh citing he is not a member of the party. “First he should join the party and spend some time and then run for Senatorship.”
The ruling party’s MNA also tweeted in which he requested the PM to change the decision.
Previously, PTI also took back the Balochistan Senate ticket which was awarded to Abdul Qadir after the decision received flak from the party’s leaders.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill, in a tweet, said that the party had reversed its decision and now the Balochistan ticket had been allotted to Zahoor Agha.
The Senate polls are scheduled to be held on March 3.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday extended the date to file nomination papers for the Senate election till February 15.
According to the statement released by ECP, the date to file nomination papers has been set from February 12 till February 15.
The ECP said that it was amending the dates after seeing reports in the media that the candidates were facing difficulties in completing legal formalities to file nomination papers.
