The controversy surrounding women’s seats is “senseless” as those who have been nominated for Punjab “come on merit,” tweeted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan in response to senior party leaders Fauzia Kasuri and Saloni Bokhari’s qualms.
After senior PTI leaders Dr Shireen Mazari and Ayla Malik were nominated on two PTI reserved seats for Punjab, Kasuri and Bokhari raised objections claiming that they deserved the seats owing to their long association and contribution to the party’s affairs, a senior party leader told The Express Tribune.
Prior to elections, the party’s central executive committee submitted a list of women candidates for reserved seats in National Assembly to the election commission.
This list, which was prepared after consensus, sported Dr Mazari’s name on top, while the names of Hassan, Malik, Kasuri, Dr Yasmin Rashid followed in that order.
The decision was made by chairperson Imran Khan on merit while taking all members of Central Executive Committee on board, said Mazari, the party’s central information secretary when contacted. She added that the party did not receive any written complaint on this selection from any female party leader including Kasuri.
The party chairperson has now given a clear-cut statement to reject discrimination and violation of merit in the formation of a priority list of women candidates from Punjab on reserved, Mazari said.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2013.