As many as 12 aspirants, including six members of the District Council Muzaffarabad, on Saturday urged the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership to award the party ticket for the suburban Lachhrat constituency (LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II) to any one of them, assuring full support from all others.
Speaking at a press conference, they warned that awarding the ticket to a newcomer would cause “irreparable damage” to the party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Among those present were PTI regional information secretary and district president Syed Azhar Gillani, District Council members Mir Iftikhar (Panjgran), Mir Naseer Gillani (Nura Seri), Syed Fayaz Gillani (Hotrerhi), Shaukat Kazmi (Nauseri Nosadda), Yasir Safeer Mughal (Chhatar Domel), Chaudhry Asif Yaqoob (Panjkote), local council members Umar Mughal and Mahtab Mughal, and Youth Wing senior vice president Mir Waleed.
Also present were PTI ticket aspirants Ansar Pirzada, Khawaja Shafique and Imran Khurshid from Jhelum Valley, Neelum Valley and Muzaffarabad city, respectively.
The speakers said the press conference pertained specifically to the Lachhrat constituency and alleged attempts to divide the party by securing a ticket for a new candidate through financial influence, vowing to resist such efforts. They reiterated that the eventual nominee among the 12 would enjoy unanimous support.
Though no name was mentioned, their remarks appeared to be directed at Engr Mir Iftikhar Hussain, a recent entrant to PTI who is also seeking the party ticket from the constituency.
Recalling past performance, they said the PTI candidate had secured around 23,000 votes in the 2021 general elections, but delays in ticket allocation had affected the outcome. In contrast, they said, the party performed strongly in local government elections, winning district council seats in six of 10 union councils and losing the remaining four by narrow margins, while securing chairmanships across all union councils.
They asserted that PTI would actively participate in the upcoming elections in AJK and warned that any attempt to obstruct the process or deny registration would be challenged legally.
“Whatever the circumstances, we will take full part in the elections to advance Imran Khan’s vision,” they said.
Responding to questions, they said they did not require any certificate of patriotism, adding that Imran Khan had always referred to the Pakistan Army as “his army”, and that groups involved in negative activities should be banned. They maintained that Imran Khan was fighting for the rights of 230 million Pakistanis and that PTI would approach voters on the basis of performance.
They also said PTI had supported the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for public rights, but alleged that it, like PTI, faced obstacles when it mobilised.
On the occasion, Mr Shafique said flawed strategy was costing PTI in Neelum district, with many local representatives and workers switching parties. Mr Khurshid alleged that the party had suffered not only in Muzaffarabad city due to its own lawmaker but that workers in Lachhrat were also being sidelined, urging the leadership to take notice.
Tariq Naqash
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