Tickets for upcoming polls in Punjab, KP: PTI initiates consultation process

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has begun consultation on awarding tickets for the upcoming elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

In this connection, PTI leader and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser called on the former prime minister here on Saturday.

During the meeting, matters about the resignations of PTI legislators in the National Assembly, the situation arising after the dissolution of Punjab and KP Assemblies and a strategy related to the distribution of party tickets came under discussion.

On the occasion, the PTI chief directed the provincial party officials to shortlist candidates, adding that he will decide about the distribution of the party tickets, adding that the tickets would be given to those candidates who were sincere with the party and no compromise would be made on merit.

Moreover, Qaiser briefed the PTI chief on the future strategy regarding the acceptance of resignations.

Earlier, while talking to the media outside the PTI Chairman’s residence, the former National Assembly Speaker said that they met National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf and requested that if he was going to accept the resignations of the PTI parliamentarians then all of them should be accepted at one time.

Imran Khan says doesn’t see elections in ‘near future’

“The Speaker’s act of accepting the resignations of a select group of our legislators was against the law and the Constitution. The coalition government was taking steps to protect its political interests,” he said.

He averred that such illegal actions were creating an atmosphere for fresh elections, adding that the PTI’s sole demand was snap polls.

Meanwhile, in a separate media talk, PTI leader Senator Ali Zafar said that the caretaker chief minister should not have any connection with any political party; “if the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) does not fulfil its responsibility of appointing an impartial caretaker chief minister then we would go to the courts”.

“However, it was hoped that ECP would take into account the qualifications of the nominees and they would not need to challenge it,” he said while talking to the media outside PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s residence here on Saturday. He further said that it was clear in the Constitution that an impartial person should be appointed for the slot of the caretaker chief minister.

He revealed that the PTI has submitted its reservations to the parliamentary committee over the opposition’s nominee, Mohsin Naqvi, for the caretaker chief minister. “The ECP should take our reservations into consideration before taking a final decision on the matter,” he added.

On the resignations of the PTI legislators in the National Assembly, he said that either all of the resignations should be accepted or none of them; “the double standard shown by the treasury benches was against the Constitution”.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023