The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf suffered a major blow on Saturday as its three candidates for union council chairman and vice-chairman slots `withdrew’ their nomination papers allegedly under PML-N pressure.The development came as a shock for PTI leadership as it remained clueless about the pressure that was allegedly being faced by the party candidates. As a result PML-N’s Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan and Jaffar Husain were elected unopposed as UC-107 chairman and vice-chairman, respectively.The PTI had not fielded covering candidates in the constituency for the upcoming local government elections. Similarly, PML-N’s Haji Jamil won UC-263 chairman slot following withdrawal of nomination papers by PTI’s Malik Sajjad. Imran Khan has collected around him a rare assortment of hardboiled politicians who know all the tricks of the trade. It’s no use blaming others if the party chief fails to get the best out of the jewels in his crown.It is a matter of prestige for Imran Khan to get his candidates in NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-154 (Lodhran-I) bye-polls elected. In case of Ayaz Sadiq winning back his seat, it would prove that the charges of rigging levelled by the PTI were wrong. If PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tarin was to lose his seat, it would send a demoralising message to party workers. To prepare his workers mentally for eventualities of the sort, Khan has started accusing Punjab Police of intimidating its candidates and their supporters. He has also demanded the deployment of Pakistan Army during the bye-elections.Imran Khan’s worries have multiplied on account of the prevailing lack of enthusiasm on the part of the voters in the two constituencies. The code of conduct enforced by the ECP bars Senators, MNAs and MPAs from taking part in the campaign. With all major politicians out, no big election rally is on the cards. The bar being non-discriminatory, it does not benefit or harm any single party. It is highly unusual on the part of Imran Khan to declare that despite the ban he will campaign for Aleem Khan, the PTI candidate in NA-122. Khan would have screamed bloody murder if a political leader from another party had issued an irresponsible statement of the sort. It is time Khan stops being a law unto himself.
pk.shafaqna.com
