MULTAN-PTI Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi rejected on Friday all allegations levelled against him by a party office-bearer regarding obliging his relatives in awarding tickets for election 2018, saying the final decision to grant ticket to anyone has to be made by the Chairman Imran Khan and not him.
Addressing a news conference here at his residence, he also revealed that the PTI and Awami Raaj Party of Jamshed Dasti have finalized a seat adjustment deal in Muzaffargarh.
Referring to the ticket row, he said that he had always been in favour of giving tickets to party's ideological workers, adding that the decision regarding tickets for reserved seats for women was not made by him. He said that he had no contact with Sikandar Bosan. "If those, who brought Nawaz Sharif's cabinet member Bosan to PTI, have any moral courage, they should step forward and face the workers of PTI now," he added. He said that Bosan joined PTI on his own will in 2013 and then quit himself. He said that Imran Khan had seen both sides of the picture and he would soon make a final decision regarding NA-154 ticket.
He said that the workers of all political parties had reservations on ticket distribution. "Since the PTI is the most popular party of the country, its workers have more reservations," he pointed out. He said that Imran Khan had constituted a parliamentary board for deciding tickets and he was part of that board. He disclosed that the board kept forth elements like loyalty with the party, honesty and electability before granting the tickets. He said that if the PTI got chance to come to power all elected members of the party would have to follow party policy. He said that the members of Janobi Punjab Sooba Mahaaz were told clearly that the PTI had made South Punjab province part of its manifesto but they would have to follow the principles of PTI after joining the party.
Referring to Aun Abbas Bappi, he said that Mr. Bappi had told him that he had no interest in electoral politics. "He demanded party office. I advocated his demand before party leadership and Imran Khan. He was not made party coordinator and regional general secretary due to Ishaq Khakwani or any other person, rather I got him this office," he claimed. He said that now Mr. Bappi expressed his desire to contest election and it was his democratic right. "But if we talk about merit, who deserves more than Ijaz Janjua the party ticket. He is struggling for party for last 12 years and is a committed worker," he asserted. Citing other examples, he said that city general secretary Nadeem Qureshi, former MPA Javed Ansari, Kh. Suleman Siddiqui and Munawar Queshi had rendered tremendous sacrifices for the party.
He suggested to Aun Abbas Bappi to submit an application to the party to seek ticket for PP-211 if he wanted to contest election. He declared that he would not have any objection if party granted ticket to Mr. Bappi. He said that he believed in the politics of ideology, adding that he was the person who convinced Imran Khan on the issue of province after continuous efforts of two years.
He said that he was contesting election from NA-156 and his son NA-157, adding that if the party had any other suitable candidates from any of these constituencies, he and his son were ready to withdraw in his favour. "I am ready to sacrifice. Even if I am not given ticket, I'll run party's campaign across the country," he declared. He said that Moen Qureshi was his relative but it was not any offense to be his relative. He added that Moen Qureshi had filed application for ticket but if he failed to come up to the merit and was not issued ticket, he (Shah Mahmood) would not protest this decision.
Answering a question on his relations with Jahangir Tareen, he said that Tareen was his friend and both of them worked for the party together. "Now he is not part of political game, so there is no point in having a feud with him," he added.
To a query on possibility of seat adjustment of Jamshed Dasti, he disclosed that Dasti had accepted the adjustment offer and the PTI had finalized the deal with him. He said that Dasti would contest election on his own electoral sign while the provincial candidates under him would contest on bat sign. He said that Dasti opposed PML-N and PPP while supporting the stance of PTI in the assembly during last five years and therefore the party had given him seat adjustment offer.