- Apart from his bulky experience, PTI’s candidate Imran Ismail says he was nominated for PTI’s NA-246 seat because he has been serving Khans
- PTI leader attributes Ismail’s nomination to the ability to bear electioneering expenses, while PTI Karachi president cries consensus, competition
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fielded Imran Ismail for NA-246 because he has “resources to bear the expenses of the game-changing by-poll”, Pakistan Today’s investigation into the selection of candidates for Azizabad constituency revealed.
While PTI Karachi President Ali Zaidi claims that 12 senior workers had applied for NA-246 by-elections and the party had fielded the strongest candidate after developing census among the applicants, a senior party member, who had also applied for NA-246 ticket, told Pakistan Today that through the candidature, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had “repaid Ismail for his services” to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust and “financial support” to PTI.
“This too is a reality that the way he is spending on the election campaign, other applicants would not have been able to do so,” the source said.
“PTI Sindh Women Wing President Nazia Rabbani, who belongs to the same constituency, could be a better candidate in place of Imran Ismail,” the source said, adding, “Living fearlessly in MQM’s stronghold, Rabbani raises PTI’s voice all the time.”
“Rabbani can arrange a lavish lunch for Mr and Mrs Khan but she cannot afford election campaign expenses,” the source maintained.
For the constituency, which was left vacant last month after the then Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MNA Nabeel Gabol resigned from his seat, PTI had submitted eight nomination forms for NA-246 which were later withdrawn after Ismail’s nomination, said Zaidi, on the other hand.
Rejecting rumours that Ismail belonged to an Ismaili school of thought, Zaidi said that he belonged to a noble family of Dehli Sodagraan.
BUT ISMAIL CAN:
Imran Ismail, the son of former Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president and a renowned businessman Abdullah Ismail, however admitted the claim, saying that the quality which differentiated him from other applicants was resources.
“I have the capacity to bear expenses of the historic by-polls and this is one of the reasons that the party awarded me the ticket for NA-246,” Imran Ismail told Pakistan Today.
“In Pakistan, contesting elections costs heavily. One has to even utilize major chunk of his savings to meet campaign expenses. Few days ago, PTI Chairman Imran Khan along with his wife Reham Khan arrived in the city to look into PTI’s election campaign. Everyone can not afford accommodation expenses for Mr and Mrs Khan. A reason behind my selection could be that I have been serving Imran Khan since 1992,” Ismail claimed, adding that he has also served as PTI’s Sindh and Karachi chapters’ president and that made him the strongest candidate for the seat.
