BAJAUR AGENCY, April 18: Difference of opinion among political party workers and party policy makers shows the slow process of democratization in FATA evident from PTI workers’ disenchantment on awarding ticket for NA 44 in Bajaur Agency. FRC learnt.
According to details Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) awarded party ticket to its candidate Gul Dad in NA-44 of Bajaur Agency while the party ticket for NA-43 is still undecided. However the decision was criticized by party workers in agency, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said here on Wednesday that the party’s parliamentary board has awarded party ticket to Gull Dad Khan for the constituency of NA 44 Bajaur Agency.
According to election related reports in many parts of FATA the unexpected candidates are being awarded party tickets. The mainstream political parties like JUI-F, PTI and ANP awarded the tickets to the candidates against the expectation of party workers in the agencies.
Mambar Khan a senior party leader of PTI in Bajaur Agency has confirmed the award of Party ticket to Gull Dad Khan. He said, “Mr Gull Dad Khan will be party candidate for NA-44 Bajaur 2 in the upcoming general election while the other party candidates were advised to withdraw their nomination papers that had submitted for NA 44”.
However Mr Khan said that for NA 43 the PTI is still undecided on award of ticket to its candidate. “Hopefully the decision of awarding the ticket for NA 43 would be finalized till Thursday,” Mr. Khan said. On the other hand several party workers have opposed the decision of parliamentary board regarding the award of ticket to Gull Dad Khan.
They said that Nawab Zada Jalal-u-Din Khan was the deserving candidate of NA 44.
The workers said that party activists would oppose the decision because the ticket was the right of Nawab Zada Jala-u-Din Khan who worked day and night for strengthening party in the Agency.
“Award of ticket to Gull Dad Khan was a surprise for the party workers because he does not have the potential to win the election,” said Nasar Khan a senior party worker. He added that violation of merit in award of party ticket would not be tolerated.
The very incident of awarding tickets shows the difference of opinion among party elites and the workers at grass root level in FATA. However it is also noticeable that the political reforms for FATA brought a healthy change among the mind set of people where difference of opinion depicts a positive indicator of speared of democratic culture.
