Following significant backlash over the allocation of party tickets, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is reportedly considering the inclusion of the party’s vice president Shah Mehmood Qureshi and general secretary Asad Umar in a review committee to address concerns, according to Geo News.
On Thursday, PTI established a four-member committee to resolve objections regarding ticket distribution, a recurring issue within the party. The committee initially consisted of Musaddiq Abbasi, Ijaz Chaudhary, Rai Hassan Nawaz, and Aoon Abbas. However, in light of strong criticism from party workers and supporters, Khan may include senior members to help decide on appeals related to ticket allocation.
Earlier this week, PTI finalized a list of 297 candidates for the upcoming elections, ordered by the Supreme Court to be held on May 14. To maintain merit in ticket distribution, Khan personally interviewed all party candidates. Despite this process, several senior party leaders were excluded from contesting the polls in Punjab, frustrating workers and supporters.
The aspirations of Qureshi and Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry for the position of Punjab chief minister were dashed after being denied provincial assembly tickets by the party chief. Fawad expressed disappointment over the denial of his ticket in a recent interview with a private news channel.
Fawad advised Khan not to publicly announce the chief minister candidate before the polls, regardless of whether it was Sardar Usman Buzdar or someone else. The final list of candidates includes Raja Basharat, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Usmar Dar, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Hashim Dogar, Zain Qureshi, and Usman Buzdar.
PTI is the only major party that has formally begun the electoral process. In Lahore, known as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s stronghold, the party has awarded tickets to several candidates. However, some former ticket-holders and winners from the July 2022 election have not received a ticket for the upcoming election.
