Local govt polls — Youth wing warns PTI leadership

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20-12-2013 | ET
PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) youth wing is upset with the party for ignoring them, and demands that in order to make up for it PTI should give them at least 50% representation in upcoming local government (LG) elections.

Youth wing representatives added that if the party did not listen, they would have to face a repeat of what happened in NA-1. Members of the youth wing believe that the party lost in the constituency as the leadership overlooked the youth during the May 11 general elections and then again in the by-polls.

Another reason, they believe, is because of groupings within the party. The wing decided that it is now time to confront the party by demanding representation at the grass-root levels.

They demanded that the party should find out why they lost in NA-1 in the by-polls. “We took the streets for change, we knocked on every door to convince people to vote for PTI,” said the youth wing’s Peshawar district president, Sajjad Bangash. “The youth reflects the party chairman’s politics but it is being ignored. Imran Khan should remember that if he ignores the youth, the party might meet the same fate as other political parties.”

He added that while the PTI tsunami had brought a lot of new people to the party, it had also swept away some who had been associated with the party since its inception in 1996.

According to Bangash, who promises to stand by the party chairman, Imran Khan should concentrate on internal issues just like he’s been dealing with international ones such as drones. “We are looking forward to sweep the LG polls,” he said. “The chairman should look into issues such as the youth wing’s reservations about party selections. We are content with the provincial government but the bureaucracy needs to be dealt with strictly.”

Bangash added everyone should be held accountable, even Imran Khan.