Peshawar:
Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) was in a growing internal rift on Saturday when Rebel Senate candidates rejected the party’s ‘dictation’ to withdraw their nomination papers and instead promised to contest the 21 July vote in open despite an opposition-backed Consensus deal.
The development came when the government and the opposition in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have beaten a rare unity pact to secure the victory for 11 agreed Senate candidates in a move to the sidelines of the party’s rebels.
PTI’s political committee, who met late Saturday night, approved a power sharing agreement with the opposition and confirmed the list of official candidates issued by party tonger Imran Khan.
However, the move has triggered a setback from sidelined aspirants that accuse the management of capitulating what they denote an “establishment sponsored agreement”.
Despite the directive of withdrawing, five rebel candidates, including Irfan Saleem, Khurram Zishan, Waqas Orakzai, formerly IG Irshad Hussain and Aisha Bano, stood their land after internal consultations.
In public statements and video messages, they declared that they would not bow to it, they are alleged to be “political appropriateness” and “closed doors compromises”.
“This has gone far beyond the election in the Senate,” Khurram Zishan said in a trassing announcement. “We are asked to hand over our confidence in the people who imprisoned our workers, tortured our elders and stole our mandate via Form 47. We reject political wheels and act. We are not playing politics … We are opposed.”
Party pushes back, rebels are digging in
The party’s political committee, while supporting PTI Imran Khan’s hand -picked list, recognized internal objections, including for candidates such as Misshal Yousafzai and Irfan Saleem, but said the founder’s decisions were final.
The committee warned dissidents that they could face disciplinary messages if they were not complied with.
PTI management has given the rebel candidates a deadline of 12 noon today to retire. However, the dissents, which are characterized by what they claim, occur 20 MPAs in contact with them, unused.
Irfan Saleem accused PTI’s leadership of forming an “unholy alliance” of installing established candidates.
“We do not allow this smashing to a legislature built on Imran Khan’s name,” he said. “Our resistance is not personal; it is ideological.”
Aisha Bano said the Senate seats were “a confidence given to us by the party’s workers and Khan himself,” and would not be handed over to those who “stole our mandate.”
“This is not just another choice … It’s the front line of a movement,” she said.
Govt, Opposition goes together to shut out rebels
Meanwhile, sources confirmed that the government and the opposition in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have beaten a rare unit covenant to ensure that the victory for 11 agreed Senate candidates in a move to the PTI rebels sidelines.
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and opposition leader Dr. Ibadullah will jointly oversee the formation and coordination of seven special voting panels.
Four of these will be monitored by provincial ministers, with the remaining three administered by opposition parliamentary leaders.
According to the plan, the government MPAs will be assembled in CM House and sent in groups to cast votes under ministerial supervision. Opposition partners will follow a similar strategy.
Each panel is asked to vote for specific general, women and technocratic candidates. The collaboration includes a mechanism of responsibility where both sides agree to investigate whether voices are slipping against rebel candidates.
A backup plan B that involved the delay of the election or gang in new MPAs was discussed, but ultimately dismissed due to lack of consensus.
Senior PTI leaders are expected to be present in the assembly during the vote, as well as the most important opposition figures. Sources within the opposition expressed confidence in the event.
“We are pleased with the government’s commitment. All eleven candidates must win smoothly if the deal holds,” they said.
