PESHAWAR: The upcoming local government polls have again brought to spotlight the tussle for ticl(ets among the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the province, especially in Peshawar.

In a related development, an MNA of the party resorted to forgery to keep a candidate out of the polls by tempering with the original list.

MNA Hamidul Haq awarded ticket to another candidate instead of the one, who had been recommended by the parliamentary board of the party.

Syed Saad Abdullah was recommended for ticket for district member ward 41 Palosai, Town III by the board but a candidate from thesame area, Abdur Razzaq, was allotted the ticket.

`I have complained to the party leadership and waiting for the decision. I will also move court for submitting a case of forgery against the MNA,` Mr Abdullah told Dawn.

With a few exceptions, there have been widespread allegations of nepotism and favouritism in award of party tickets for the local government polls.

In Battagram, Zubair Allai and Yousaf Tarand, who joined PTI recently, were given role in the party`s parliamentary board, which didn`t award ticket even to Amal Shah, the elected president of the party, and chose their own people.

In Haripur, Mansehra, Peshawar, Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Chitral and Swat, etc, the PTI workers have openly been accusing the provincial leadership of harming the party by inducting their own people at the cost of the ideological workers.

The fight everywhere is between the old and new members of PTI.

The MNA and MPAs of the partyhave literally hijacked the authority of awarding tickets from the parliamentary board as in many cases the candidates nominated by the committees were denied tickets.

The application by Ilyas Khalil, provincial general secretary of PTI sport wing, for district seat in Pawaka locality was turned down by the respective lawmakers despite the fact that he was nominated by the committee.

Mohammad Altaf, another candidate from Pishtakhara union council, failed to get the ticl
Town-III, Peshawar, the elected general secretary and his runnerup in PTI intra-party elections, were not given tickets. `PTI leadership is concerned about the situation but it can do nothing to address the grievances of the senior workers,` sources said. They said that PTI chairman was too busy to listen to workers` complaints against the government.

The lack of interest, shown by PTI towards the complaints of its workers regarding award of ticketsfor local government polls, is evident from its inaction despite the fact that several protests were held in different districts by the PTI activists. Sources said that workers felt let down because the people, who joined PTI just before 2013 general elections, were not only in the government but they also awarded tickets to the people of their choice.

Azam Khan Swati, who remained a senator of JUI-F and federal minister, joined PTI very late. He is set to become senator on the seat vacated due to death of Azam Khan Hoti last month.

Azam Swati, sources said, required votes for the Senate election from the MPAs so he had given them free hand in award of tickets.

The rejected candidates argue that the MNAs, MPAs and Swati-led provincial chapter of PTI harmed the party which will come to fore in the polls. In most of the districts, the ideological workers of PTI have been contesting independently which is more likely to benefit the nominees of the opposition parties.