Protests from disgruntled PTI workers follow Imran to Lahore
Shares
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers on Thursday protested outside party chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence against the ‘unfair’ distribution of tickets for the upcoming general election.
Several workers gathered outside Imran’s residence and chanted slogans shunning “injustice within the party”.
PTI hopeful from PP-170, Saif-ur-Rehman claimed that following his appeal the party took back the ticket issued for the constituency from Aoun Chaudhry’s brother.
“But instead of giving the ticket to me, it was issued to Aoun Chaudhry’s sister-in-law,” Rehman lamented.
As workers continued their protest, additional police was deployed outside Imran’s residence.
According to sources, district administration tried to keep the schedule of Imran’s visit to Lahore a secret as they expected protests from workers. “However, workers still managed to gather outside his residence,” the sources said.
Imran reached Lahore earlier today along with his wife, Bushra Maneka, after a stop-over at Baba Fariduddin's shrine in Pakpattan.
Disgruntled party workers have been protesting and staging sit-ins in various cities, including outside Imran's Bani Gala residence in Islamabad, against the issuance of tickets for the General Election 2018 scheduled for July 25.
One of the main issues for the workers from a number of constituencies has been the PTI leadership’s decision to award tickets to people who have joined the party recently and are considered 'electable'.
PTI suffers major setback in Layyah
Meanwhile, the party suffered a major setback in Layyah district of Punjab, where influential Sehar group quit the party despite having been awarded one ticket for the National Assembly and three for provincial assembly elections by the party.
Following Sehar group's parting of ways, the PTI allotted these tickets to Majeed Niazi group.
On the other hand, PTI district president Basharat Randhawa announced quitting the party after being denied tickets for contesting the forthcoming election.
Randhawa said that he would contest the polls as an independent candidate.
APP/AFP
