A number of PTI legislators publicly challenged the nomination of some of the party candidates for the Senate elections. It was maintained by the critics that these nominations were made in violation of merit. Federal Minister Faisal Vawda was issued a party ticket for fear that he might be disqualified as MNA by the court for lying about his nationality while submitting nomination papers for 2018 polls. This was clearly a case of moral turpitude that a party claiming high moral ground could not condone. The two moneybags who had recently joined the party were also awarded tickets. This amounted to preferring money over merit. Bitter opposition from the Balochistan chapter of the PTI led to the replacement of business tycoon Abdul Qadir by Mr Zahoor Agha soon after the announcement. The party however retained all others till the time for nominations was over on Monday.
There was opposition in the PTI’s KP chapter against the nomination of Najibullah Khattak and Faisal Saleem on the ground that they lacked competence and had a bad reputation. A delegation of outspoken PTI MNAs had also called upon the PM. In Sindh two MNAs went public, one against Mr Vawda and the other against Federal Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, confirming that they would in no case vote for them. In Sindh party units threatened not to cooperate in local government elections if Mr Vawda’s name was not dropped.
In the PTI’s parliamentary board meeting on Tuesday. Prime Minister Imran Khan stood by Federal Minister Vawda, maintaining that he had rendered services for the party. The board consequently made just one change, replacing Mr Najibullah Khattak with former Senator Liaquat Tarakai, retaining all other nominees. Me Khan hopes to pacify the party’s Sindh leadership by taking them into confidence over the board’s decisions via video link. Only the election results would show whether interaction with the PM had pacified the dissidents.
Mr Khan opposed the secret ballot for he thought this would encourage party dissenters to vote against his nominees while keeping their identity secret. Little did he expect that some of the party’s legislators would publicly take a stand against his nominees. He would be shooting himself in the foot if he accuses the dissenters of selling their votes.
