PTI intra-party polls afoot

ISLAMABAD: PTI is once again holding intra-party polls in February/March next year which would be second polls after four years. However, the critics are skeptical of the outcome of such an exercise as the party while adopting one portion of Justice (R) Wajihuddin election tribunal report has rejected the second part which belongs to recommendations regarding ouster of certain senior leaders from the party and proposals for any future polls.

The head of party’s election tribunal Wajihuddin (whose membership is under suspension) says unless the whole recommendations of the panel are adopted the fairness of any intra party polls would remain lacking.

Question is whether the party will repeat the dubious exercise of 2012 intra party polls when the influential party leaders had stolen polls according to the findings of Wajihuddin who was made head of a two member panel to probe the reported irregularities/rigging to have been committed in that poll. Not only the aging justice worked hard to reach the culprits and declared them as persona non grata.

Talking to the News Justice Ahmed said the provisional office bearers who were found guilty of manipulating previous intra party polls need to be separated from the process to make them transparent. He said party’s fresh membership drive and making all fresh and old members voters would also make the exercise doubtful as nowhere fresh and old members are amalgamated for purpose of voting. Thirdly, he said the party is undertaking another venture of electronic voting after the last polls fiasco since the correct results of electronic voting would be impossible without required back up facility, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan is also reluctant to adapt to the said system due to its high costs then how can PTI go for extravaganza.

He said that if the fresh members also allowed to vote it will mean that those with hundreds and thousands of factory workers and peasants under industrialists and landlords would get all the votes to win their seats.

He suggested that the old voters list of 7.2 million members be used for next intra party polls rather than including fresh members and the traditional ballot system be adopted for polling votes. If these suggestions which election tribunal has made in March this year are ignored the upcoming exercise would also be annulled any other tribunal as manipulated and rigged.

According to party spokesperson Naeemul Haq the party will go to polls in accordance with the findings of Justice Wajihuddin about previous party polls. Fresh party membership campaign will be carried out during January and then schedule will be announced in February hopefully the process will be completed in March.

Talking to The News, Haq amended his statement saying all findings of the tribunal were not correct when asked if the party will abide by the impugned orders issued by it.

A founder member of PTI, Akbar Sher Babar, said as long as corrupt and filthy wealthy persons are calling shots in the party no fair polls can be held.” Babar, who was expelled from the party on disciplinary grounds, said that there was huge money fraud in the party with every small and big party worker having filled his pockets with millions. He also talked about several irregularities in party membership as well as the mode of polling. Ends

The party had held its first ever intra party polls under the supervision of eminent jurist Hamid Khan as the party has chosen former bureaucrat Tasneem Noorani as its next chief election commissioner.