LAHORE –The intra-party polls will be held following the process of direct election from Union Council to Centre, Imran Khan announced yesterday.

“The party workers prepare for the intra-party polls to elect the leaders of their choice for various party offices,” said Mr Khan while addressing more than three dozen party activists at the inauguration of party’s Kashmir secretariat in the provincial capital.

The PTI leadership is facing serious differences over the important issue of deciding the fate of structure for the new intra-party polls.

Top party leadership has received four main proposals regarding the mode of elections from various party leaders and chief election commissioner Tasneem Noorani.

The first proposal is to hold direct elections in six tiers on all seats, starting from union council, followed by towns, districts, regions, provinces and the centre.

The second suggestion is to hold direct polls in four tiers starting from districts followed by regions, provinces and the centre.

The third idea is to conduct these elections on popular basis, which consists of six tiers, starting from union council followed by towns, districts regions, provinces and the centre.

This type of intra-party polls structure means the candidate who gets maximum number of votes will become president, followed by general secretary and other office bearers.

But the party’s top leadership has suggested the internal polls only for the slot of district, regional, provincial and central president who will select their teams on the remaining offices.

The party’s chief election commissioner has locked horns with the chairman and his close aides, insisting on adopting the first formula to make the new polls a real democratic exercise, said the insiders.

It seems Mr Khan’s Thursday announcement came to avoid another Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed-like incident which could occur in the result of possible resignation of Mr Noorani.

PTI chairman demanded of the government to deploy army in the forthcoming general elections of Azad Jammu Kashmir to ensure transparency and fairness.

“The party leaders and activists should prepare for PTI’s enthusiastic participation in the upcoming general elections of Azad Kashmir,” directed Mr Khan to party activists.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with party leaders at the party office of PTI Punjab’s former president Ijaz Chaudhary, Mr Khan has directed the party leaders to assemble a team of party leaders who are engineers and architects to prepare a comprehensive report on the Orange Line in order to prepare ground for the party to launch a mass awareness drive against the government’s incompetence and corrupt practices.