ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan is determined to hold intra-party polls while certain PTI leaders have opposed the move on the ground that previous elections caused more split in the party ranks, The Nation has learnt.

Imran Khan had announced some weeks back to hold fresh intra-party polls following dissolution of all elected offices and had formed an interim setup to run the PTI affairs.

A debate within the party whether intra-party polls should be held or not has started because certain leaders are of the view that these should be avoided for some time as such previous polls had resulted in divisions and rivalries, background interviews with senior leaders revealed.
They have started opposing the chairman’s decision of conducting intra-party polls, asking him to avoid such activity as the party could not afford it at the moment.

Imran Khan has asked PTI Chief Election Commissioner Tasneem Ahmed Noorani to start preparations for the next intra-party polls. He had also visited the office of the party’s election commission situated in a posh sector of Islamabad. PTI had also notified the members of its election commission.

A PTI leader, wishing not to be named, said some senior leaders had opposed holding of intra-party polls in the last National Advisory Council (NAC) meeting held in July 9 at a local hotel of the capital.

Imran Khan had notified the National Advisory Council comprising more than 100 members with representation from all the provinces after dissolving all the party offices in the light of decision of the party’s internal election tribunal, headed by Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed.
The National Advisory Council has been mandated to assist and advise the party chairman in different matters. The council has so far held its two meetings in Islamabad.

PTI is the second major party after Jamaat-e-Isamli- (JI) among the political parties of Pakistan that has set the precedent of holding intra-party polls.

PTI Central Information Secretary Naeemul Haq told The Nation that Kahn is firm to conduct the intra-party polls despite opposition from some senior leaders. “There can be some difference of opinion within the party, but Imran Khan is of firm opinion that holding of intra-party polls is the best option,” he said.

He added PTI would conduct intra-party polls after the holding of local government elections scheduled to be held in November this year. “PTI has four or five candidates in every constituency in intra-party polls,” he said, adding they would manage to resolve all these differences. “We are in the process of finalising voter lists,” he said. He pointed out that the last meeting of the National Advisory Council (NAC) did not discuss the intra-party polls as an agenda item, but added some leaders had given their viewpoints on the issue.

The PTI intra-party polls were held in 2012 and 2013, but became controversial after a number of PTI leaders pointed out irregularities in the conduct of such polls. Imran Khan, after receiving several complaints, formed a two-member election tribunal headed by Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed to probe the matter. Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin in its report endorsed the irregularities and recommended holding of fresh polls by dissolving all the party offices. At the same time, he held that Pervez Khattak, Jehangir Tareen, Aleem Khan, Nadir Leghari and some other senior leaders were involved in these irregularities to win elections.

The report said that money was used in the party polls to buy votes. Following this decision, split within the party became more visible and Imran Khan had to suspend the membership of Wajih.