Blue-eyed boy gets PTI ticket for brother

LAHORE: Another example of favouritism is visible in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as a close confidant of party Chairman Imran Khan has succeeded in getting the ticket of a Punjab Assembly seat for his brother from a Lahore seat.

Aun Chaudhry, who is part of Imran Khan’s closest circle, a permanent fixture around the party chairman during his countrywide tours and also known as the political secretary of Imran Khan in the PTI circles, has been successful in getting ticket for his brother, Chaudhry Amin Zulqernain from PP-170, a seat that falls under previous NA-128 and currently under NA-134 and NA-135.

Chaudhry Amin Zulqernain, a former Union Council Nazim of 2005 from the Garden Town area has been pitched from PP-170, a constituency that includes areas like Wapda Town, PCSIR, Nasheman Iqal, Valencia Town and other adjoining areas. Amin Zulqernain is contesting as the PTI candidate whereas former MNA of 2002 Malik Zaheer Khokher is contesting from NA-134 and from NA-135, his uncle Malik Karamat is the PTI candidate.

PTI chairman has awarded ticket to Chaudhry Amin Zulqernain while ignoring two old guards of Tehreek-e-Insaf, including Khwaja Asim Nazir and Saif-ur-Rehman, both of whom have been associated with the party for more than one and a half decade.

On the other hand, Amin Zulqernain claims that his standing with party is also almost a decade long as he joined PTI in the year 2008 while he was a sitting UC Nazim. He also contested the 2015 local government election on the ticket of PTI but lost to PML-N’s Khurram Nazir after a neck and neck contest and amid allegations of massive rigging by the government. Sources stated that Aun Chaudhry has played a key role in getting the ticket for his brother Amin Zulqernain, though the latter denied it.

This is noteworthy that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has come under vehement criticism recently over the alleged unjust distribution of party tickets in which several committed party workers from Lahore and other parts of Punjab have been ignored and replaced by new faces. From NA-124, Muhammad Madni is also one such example who contested poll against Hamza Shahbaz in 2013 and worked quite actively in the constituency for five years. However, the PTI chairman awarded ticket to a former UC Nazim from Allama Iqal Town, Nauman Qaiser who has no link with the constituency. He is said to have good relationship with Abdul Aleem Khan, another former Q-Leaguer who is now heading the PTI Central Punjab Wing. Engineer Yasir Gilani, another PTI pioneer, who stood with party through testing times is yet to be announced party candidate and his supporters have also lodged a protest. Amin Zulqernain, however, denied role of his brother in receiving the party ticket for him.

“I have been siding with PTI since 2008 and the perception that Aun has used his influence to get a party ticket for me is totally wrong, I have also been an active worker of PTI” said Chaudhry Amin Zulqernain.

Khawaja Asim, the PTI stalwart who has been denied the ticket from the seat, said that he was a die-hard party activist who stood with party through thick and thin. He said it was true that he was dejected over the refusal of ticket but it was the decision of the party and as a committed PTI worker, he accepted the decision whole-heartedly. He said he completely supported the decision of his party leadership and would make his contribution as the stalwart of Imran Khan to materialising the dream of a new Pakistan.