SIALKOT - As the general elections 2018 are approaching fast, the rift among the big guns of PTI are further widening despite the visit of party chief Imran Khan to Sialkot, which will benefit the PML-N in the elections.
The party is still divided in four factions while the local PTI leaders are not ready to shun their differences due to which the voters and supporters are still confused due to challenges being faced by the PTI candidates and the disgruntled colleagues. The situation is also harming the PTI vote bank.
The political differences were cropped up between PTI’s Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Group and Usman Dar Group in Sialkot soon after the award of the party tickets by PTI top leadership. Dr Firdous brought two candidates Mirza Dilawar Baig and Saeed Ahmed Bhalli by dropping Tahir Mehmood Hundali and Mian Abid Javaid for the PP seats.
PTI leaders Chaudhary Ameer Hussain, former speaker of National Assembly, and Mian Naeem Javaid, former Sialkot District Nazim, are also against the PTI leadership’s decision of awarding PTI ticket to Dr Firdous in NA-72.
Disgruntled Naeem Javaid is contesting as independent candidate against PTI’s Dr Firdous and Ameer Hussain is openly supporting Mian Naeem Javaid.
Ameer Hussain belongs to Gujjar Biradari while Mian Naeem Javaid to Araiyeen family who are in majority in the constituency.
Instead of shunning their political differences in the larger interest of the PTI, they are openly criticizing each other. Due to which the PTI voters and supporters remained confused and the situation is also harming the PTI vote bank.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan visited Sialkot on July 15, 2018 to defuse the mounted political tension between the PTI groups but the candidates are not ready to do so.
Meanwhile, the PML-N is taking full advantage of the internal political challenges of PTI. The PTI top leadership did not give party ticket to Umer Farooq Mayer, the PTI’s day first worker and one of the pioneers of PTI in Sialkot.
He said that PTI leadership has totally ignored his life-long political services and sacrifices for PTI and awarded party ticket to other candidate Ch Ikhlaq Ahmed.
