PTI Lahore leader decries workers’ exploitation in distribution of tickets
The ticket distribution was extremely unfair in Lahore, says Waleed Iqbal
Published June 23, 2018
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Waleed Iqbal, disgruntled over the distribution of party tickets, remarked on Saturday that tickets have been given to those members whose faces no one has ever seen.
The ticket distribution was extremely unfair in Lahore, he remarked, adding that “party workers were exploited”.
While addressing a press conference in Lahore, Iqbal said: “My press conference would be nothing like that of either Chaudhry Nisar or Zaeem Qadri. It will just focus on unfair distribution of party tickets in Lahore.”
Only Lahore remained silent over the unfair distribution of tickets, he noted.
Iqbal said that party chief Imran Khan had told them time and again that it was important to raise their voice against injustice.
“Chairman sahib, I appeal to you to not make the decision over worker’s complaints in haste. Please review the list of ticket holders till the last day.”
Iqbal claimed that party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was unaware of the list of ticket holders, while Jahangir Tareen also said that list of women ticket holders was unjust.
'Will take final decision on party tickets in three days'
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan announced on Friday that he will make a final decision on the award of tickets to candidates for the forthcoming elections in next three days.
Addressing disgruntled party workers camped outside his Bani Gala residence, the party chief said that the only criterion he is taking into consideration is merit.
"It doesn't matter who joined first," he told the workers.
Khan added that allotting party tickets to women is the most difficult part of the process.
"We are contesting elections to win. We can only bring change once we win the polls," he said. "As many as 4,500 candidates applied for the tickets. We have reviewed our decisions wherever there have been reservations."
The PTI chief said that he found the last three days most difficult of his life.
"I spent 126 days at the [Islamabad] sit-in, but the last three days where I had to decide on the ticket allocation were the most difficult of all," he said.
He said that not a single party ticket was allocated to any of his family member contrary to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
"There is no merit in the PML-N. They have given tickets to wives, daughters of influential figures," he took a jibe at the rival party.
