Divide in PTI or a U-turn: party split on nominaton of Orya as caretaker Punjab CM

LAHORE: Confusion surrounded the list of candidates suggested by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for caretaker chief minister of Punjab on Friday. 

After the former opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mehmood-ur-Rasheed presented the names of Orya Maqbool Jan, Yaqub Izhar, and Hassan Askari, party spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry later took to twitter to announce the candidates proposed as caretaker CM which did not include Orya's name. 

"PTI has proposed three names to be appointed as Caretaker Punjab CM. 1)Hassan Askari 2) Ayaz Amir 3) Yaqub Izhar... agreement on one name is expected by tomorrow evening," the party’s spokesperson confirmed on Twitter.

'Rasheed may not have seen list of names'

Speaking to Geo News soon after he tweeted the proposed candidates, Chaudhry explained that Rasheed 'may not have seen the list of names' that was given to him and 'there was some confusion.'

"We did not present different names, the party had decided on three names and communicated to Mehmood-ur-Rasheed but there was maybe some communication gap," said the PTI spokesperson. 

"He [Rasheed] was in a meeting with the speaker so he maybe did not see the names which were suggested to him. Party had suggested three names that were communicated to me and I put forward before you."

"Orya Maqbool Jan’s name was also discussed and he [Rasheed] presented it the primary names that were approved by the four-member committee formed by the chairman and core group were the three names [I shared]."

Responding to a question if Rasheed was absent from the decision-making committee, Chaudhry said the former was in Lahore while some party members [who had decided on the candidates] were in Islamabad. 

"Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Shafqat Mehmood, and Aleem Khan they jointly decided the names; Rasheed was also part of this group and I tweeted the names which had a majority consensus," said Chaudhry.  

“There is a clear communication gap and it needs to be improved,” he said, adding that the government and opposition will reach a consensus on the recently announced names."

'Party agreed on all announced names'

In response to a question about Orya’s name not being part of Chaudhry’s list of candidates, Rasheed said the name should ‘now be added.’

“I was talking to the media at that time and could not take the message. We had presented two names earlier, Orya Maqbool Jan and Yaqub Izhar; you can now add Ayaz Amir. We have a total of four candidates, and we have discussed all of the candidates today,” said Rasheed.

“We’ll have a final round with the [former] chief minister on Sunday and any two names will be decided. Lastly, two names have also been suggested from their [former government’s] end and a candidate will be shortlisted from the proposed names.”

When asked that Fawad's list of nominees did not include Orya’s name, Rasheed said: “I directly took permission from the party chief and proposed Orya’s name. You can it [to PTI’s list of nominees]. If Fawad Chaudhry has tweeted [the names] then ask him. You can add Ayaz Amir’s name to the list of candidates.”

Upon being asked if Rasheed had proposed four candidates, including Orya Maqbool Jan, an agitated Rasheed said he had ‘received the name later and accordingly conveyed it.’

“I have conveyed it,” he said regarding Ayaz Amir’s nomination.

However, backtracking from a comment he had made seconds earlier, Rasheed denied approaching the PTI chied directly to take permission for Orya's candidature. 

“The name was proposed with complete consensus and I did not do anything directly. The party suggest the name.” 

Announcement of PTI candidates 

While announcing the candidates earlier today, Rasheed said the party had earlier suggested Professor Hasan Askari’s name and two new names were proposed by the party today.

"Two new names, Orya Maqbool Jan and Yaqub Tahir Izhar — CEO of Izhar Construction — have been suggested from our side,” he had said while addressing the media earlier in the day.

Refusing to share the candidates suggested by the government, Rasheed advised the media to inquire a government spokesperson for its candidates. 

"The names were suggested after discussion among party members," he continued. He had said the new names, suggested to the speaker of Punjab Assembly, had been proposed by the party.