ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) decision not to accommodatetwo former MPAs was withdrawn one day after announcement of ticket holdersfor Punjab Assembly from the garrison city in the upcoming generalelections for 2018. PTI Chairman Imran Khan reportedly stepped in and askedthe Parliamentary Board of the PTI to grant tickets to Ijaz Jazi and AdnanChaudhry who are party’s diehard workers and long time associates of ImranKhan.

Upon the instructions of the party chairman, Imran Khan, Ijaz Khan Jazi hasbeen selected for ticket from PP-18 while Chaudhry Adnan will represent PTIin the general elections from Pindi’s constituency for Punjab Assembly i.e.PP-11. The ticket earlier given to Dr Shehzad Wasim from one of theprovincial constituencies (PP-15) from Rawalpindi has also been withdrawnand now Shehryar Riaz will contest provincial party seat from PP-15.

The names of the two former MPAs from Pindi, Arif Abbasi and Asif Mehmoodhave not been considered for party tickets.It may be mentioned here that on Friday after PTI issued names for theProvincial assembly (Punjab) ticket holder, Ijaz Jazi and Chaudhry Adnanwere not placed in the list and in their place Dr Shehzad Wasim wasselected for party ticket from PP-15. However later on Saturday, thedecision was withdrawn and Shehryar Riaz was selected for the party ticketfrom the same constituency while Dr Shehzad Wasim’s name was withdrawn.

According to a senior party leader, a close friend of Awami Muslim LeaguePresident Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and PTI leader Imran Khan played a role inexpelling the two former MPAs, who were the first-time members of thePunjab Assembly from Rawalpindi city. However, after seeing the workers’protest over the choice of the parliamentary board for Punjab Assemblyaspirant MPAs, the party leadership stepped in and got the decision changedand withdrawn.

Jazi had done a lot for the party during the sit-in in front of ParliamentHouse, and was the only MPA who remained in touch with workers in the lastfive years, said one of Mr Jazi’s workers. “Shehryar Riaz is the only localPML-N leader who joined the PTI, despite the efforts of the PTI leaders tobring in more from the PML-N. Shehryar Riaz did not have an active role inthe PML-N in the last five years,” said another PML-N worker.

According to Mr Riaz, the party gave him a ticket and he would bring allthe old party workers into confidence, as he could not work without theirhelp. “Imran Khan will accommodate Ijaz Khan Jazi, but the party will notchange its mind and revise the decision,” he said.