The distribution of tickets for General Elections 2018 has plunged the PTI into crisis in Peshawar and second largest city of Mardan of the province as the aspiring candidates are not ready to accept the decision of the parliamentary board.
The former members of the provincial assembly and those brought into the party fold with the commitment of awarding parliamentary tickets have revolted and now besides contesting election against PTI candidates have become active against their party candidates.
Furthermore, several former members of the KP assembly who have been ignored by the parliamentary board are also not accepting the party decision and now they are flexing muscles for contesting polls as independent candidates. Similarly, those who have deserted their parties and joined PTI are running campaign against the party candidates.
The parliamentary board of the PTI had preferred Arbab Sher Ali to Arbab Najibullah, who had quit ANP to join the party. He had remained runner-up in the general elections of both 2008 and 2013. The supporters of Arbab Najibullah had rejected the parliamentary board decision and in protest blocked Bab-e-Peshawar for all kind of traffic while Irfanullah Shah, who quit JUI-F to join PTI has quit the party office and going to announce his future line action in next few days.
Similar is the case of the recently curved out separate provincial assembly constituency for Hayatabad and University Town. In Mardan, the second big city of the province, the PTI workers and aspiring candidates protested injustice in the distribution parliamentary tickets and in a mid-night protest blocked the busy Bank Road.
The angry PTI workers were chanting slogans against the former provincial minister Mohammad Atif Khan and others. The protesting PTI workers even announced march towards Bani Gala, the residence of cricketer-turned politician. Several district council members and office bearers have quit the party.
Prominent amongst the protesters included Abdul Sattar Khan, Mujahid Bacha, Lakhkar Khan, Iqtidar Khan, Sajid Bacha, Shah Faisal Khan and Muazzam Hoti. In the protest meeting, they strongly condemned the role of the parliamentary board and vowed not to accept its decision in any circumstances. "The ignoring of the genuine party workers and awarding party tickets to wealthy persons is murder of justice.
Meanwhile, the PTI parliamentary board has so far not decided the awarding of tickets to several National and Provincial Assembly constituencies in the province and due to deadlock one seat of the provincial assembly in Peshawar is still vacant. For instance, Maulana Asmatullah, who was a JUI-F legislator quit one year back from the provincial assembly to vacate seat for Zar Gul Khan. But, now neither he has given National Assembly nor Provincial Assembly ticket. Similar deadlock also prevails on the provincial assembly seats from Mardan and Charsadda.
On the other hand, some senior PTI leaders, who also remained on governmental seats during last five years including former chief minister Pervez Khattak, KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Shahram Khan Tarakai, Mohammad Atif Khan, Shah Farman and Ali Amin Gandapore have succeeded in getting dual tickets either themselves or their family members.
Due to their influence, they are also part of the parliamentary board, who along with provincial assembly also succeeded in getting tickets for National Assembly constituencies. The Tarakai family of Swabi, who had merged their Awami Jamhoori Ittehad with PTI has succeeded in getting three tickets included one National Assembly and two provincial assembly.