Differences crop up in Mardan PTI

MARDAN: The leaders of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have reportedly developed differences on the issue of local government election, sources said on Monday.

It was learnt that Kaleemullah Toru, PTI Sports and Cultural Wing president for rural Mardan, held a workers convention on Sunday and invited the party lawmakers to the event.

The sources added that some MPAs aligned with Atif Khan’s group allegedly asked the party workers not to attend the convention because of the close links of Kaleemullah Toru with the family of Federal Minister for Defense Pervez Khattak. Kaleemullah has reportedly started lobbying for the mayor slot of Mardan in the coming local government elections.

Kaleemullah, the sources said, enjoyed the support of some party MPAs from Mardan.

Sources added that Haris Khan Toru was also a strong candidate for the mayor slot.

Talking to The News, Kaleemullah Toru said he held the workers' convention after eight years to strengthen the party.

He added he had invited provincial minister Atif Khan, federal minister Ali Mohammad Khan, all MPAs, MNAs and senators.

He added that he had established the first office of PTI in Mardan district. However, he alleged that MPA Zahir Shah Toru had asked party workers not to attend the convention. Sources added that grouping in PTI would benefit the opposition parties particularly the Awami National Party in Mardan.

PTI leaders in Karak demand intra-party election: The former office-bearers and senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here on Sunday demanded intra-party elections.

Speaking at a press conference, former district president Altaf Qadir advocate, former district general secretary Noor Muhammad Khattak, Hayat Khattak, Asim Khattak, Malik Faqir and others claimed that they made sacrifices for the party.

They said they had worked for the success of the party candidates in the previous election to work for the wellbeing of the people and not to promote their vested interests.

The PTI leaders said that there was no secretariat of the ruling party in the district.

The said that the local party office-bearers worked to promote own interests, which was causing a rift among the workers.

The PTI leaders demanded the holding of the intra-party election to strengthen the party at the grassroots and to sideline those with vested interest.

They deplored that the district organisation had been unable to hold a single party meeting in three years. The PTI leader said that party tickets for the upcoming local government election should be awarded to ideological workers instead of turncoats.

Couple complain of manhandling by police: The police allegedly manhandled a couple travelling to Nathiagali and put them behind bars at the Dungagali Police Station.It was learnt that one Ikram and his wife were locked up along with their driver at a police station where no female staff was present and male cops allegedly tortured and harassed them for hours.

“We need justice for our family. They were stopped and not allowed to travel. They were told that they could not proceed because the prime minister was going to travel on this road. The cops shouted at them and hit my brother-in-law and his nose started bleeding,” claimed one Munaza Abbasi.

According to the eyewitnesses, the couple were going to Nathiagali on 24 July along with a driver, two children and a disabled relative.

They were stopped by a traffic warden at Nathiagali and were told that Prime Minister Imran Khan was visiting the place.

After their repeated requests to be allowed to proceed, traffic warden Nadeem shouted at them and allegedly hit Ikram, the husband of the woman, in the presence of SHO Muhammad Ali.

This prompted the people to protest against his attitude and exchanged harsh words with the cops.

It was learnt that police took their vehicle to Dungagali Police Station and put the couple along with the driver behind bars for hours. This correspondent contacted Dungagali SHO at around 8pm, he said that he had just come back from the prime minister’s protocol and would try to resolve the issue.