http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-n...pc-PTI-tickets
By: Abrar Saeed | Published: December 11, 2011
ISLAMABAD - The newly appointed Vice-Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi had sliced a very lucrative deal with Imran Khan for coming under his wings, as he would be having a freehand in awarding party tickets on some 25 National Assembly constituencies covering southern Punjab and parts of Sindh.
Sources in the party informed TheNation that the party loyalists who stood with the party in thick and thin over the past around one and half decades were perturbed over this state of affairs as the new entrants in the party were not only landing on priced slots in the party but would also be aspiring a strong say in the future electoral process.
A veteran of the party who has been standing by Imran Khan since the establishment of Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf on condition of anonymity said that no doubt the induction of heavyweights in Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf on one hand was depicting its growing popularity as a potential force in the future elections, while on the other hand it was becoming a source of anxiety and unrest among party loyalists who were staying with them in the thick and thin for past well over a decade.
He said that they had expressed their reservations with the party leadership over the current state of affairs wherein the political heavyweights were landing in the party from other political parties on their own terms and conditions.
Citing the example of Shah Mahmood Qureshi and the deal he had struck with the party, another party loyalist said that no doubt he (Qureshi) was quite influential in southern Punjab and some parts of Sindh but this did not mean that he would be given such sweeping powers in sheer violation of the party's manifesto and ideology.
Sources in the party informed that to address this growing anxiety among the party's loyalists, who stood by it in difficult times,
a party high command had decided that new entrants would be given party tickets on only 30 per cent of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies seats, mostly in rural areas while 50 per cent of tickets would be given PTI loyalists who stood with the party in hard times.
Similarly to keep the interest of the youth intact, which is considered as the running blood in the party, some 20 per cent of the seats would be allocated and candidates would be selected from the Insaf Youth Federation.
Sources said that this decision on part of the party high command would cool down the high tempers among the party loyalists who were perturbed over the fast pace with which the elect-able from the other political parties were pouring in the party apparently changing its face.
Similarly to further appease the party loyalists it was further decided in a high-level meeting that some top level changes in the party would be expected in coming days where some of the senior party leaders would be accommodated.
It was further decided that preference would definitely be given to the basis of association with the party and it was in this backdrop that Justice (Retd) Wajiuddin Ahmad would be given some very important position in the party, besides the existing slot of chairman scrutiny committee of the party.
Similarly some other senior party leaders would also be accommodated on the priced positions in the party just to dispel the impression that the new entrants have hijacked the party.