LAHORE - Disgruntled PTI workers on Thursday gathered outside Zaman Park residence of Imran Khan to lodge protest against what they called ‘unfair’ distribution of tickets for the upcoming polls.
The protesters who had come mainly from Mandi Bahauddin, Nankana Sahib and other areas chanted slogans outside Khan’s residence demanding reversal of decisions on award of ticket to the undeserving candidates.
They were visibly annoyed with their leader for ignoring the die-hard party workers in most of constituencies.
The enraged protesters even surrounded the vehicle of party’s Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi who arrived at Zaman Park to attend a party meeting there. They demanded award of tickets to ideological workers instead of the feudal lords and industrialists.
District administration had to deploy additional police at Khan’s residence to avert any untoward situation. Also, the district administration tried to keep the schedule of Imran’s visit to Lahore a secret in anticipation of protests from party workers. But they managed to get outside his residence getting wind of Khan’s presence there.
A PTI aspirant from PP-170, Saif-ur-Rehman claimed that following his protest Khan took back the ticket from Aoun Chaudhry’s brother, but issued the same to Aoun’s sister-in-law instead of giving it to him.
Imran reached Lahore earlier on Thursday along with his wife, Bushra Maneka, after a stop-over at Baba Fariduddin's shrine in Pakpattan.
Thursday’s protest in Lahore was in continuation of earlier such protests at Imran's Banigala residence in Islamabad and other cities.
Meanwhile, addressing the protesting workers outside his residence Imnran said his party will fight in the elections till the last ball was thrown.
“You should never consider your opponents weak. You must continue to put up fight till the last ball,” he remarked.
Khan predicted that the competition in NA-131 will be quite close and the party workers should work hard to secure all the seats from Lahore.
He told party activists that party’s Lahore president Waleed Iqbal will be leading the party’s electoral campaign in NA-131.
He also said that Lahore will decide the fate of Punjab which in turn will make a decision for the rest of Pakistan. “Those who indulge in politics of interests will be defeated.” He said, adding that Pakistan's fate will be sealed on July 25.
Protests over tickets follow Imran to Lahore
