Imran Khan PTI Party Position in Hazara

 Like all other parts of the country, PTI is becoming extremely popular in Hazara division also after joining of some notable political leaders from Haripur, Mansehra and Abbottabad in PTI. Popularity graph of PTI in Hazara has reached to a very high level which has become a serious threat for PML-N, PML-Q and other parties who have been the major forces in Hazara division for so long.

Imran Khan after having huge public rallies in Lahore, Attock, Peshawar, Mardan and other parts of the country, entered in Hazara division and held a huge Jalsa in Khanpur on 15th December. In this jalsa Raja Amir Zaman announced to join PTI. Raja Amir Zaman is ex-district Nazim of Haripur and he has a strong political background and is very popular among masses in Haripur. In this jalsa of PTI, more than 50 thousand people gathered and it was considered the biggest jalsa in the history of Khanpur.

Just two days after the successful jalsa of PTI in Khanpur Haripur, Imran Khan entered again in Hazara and held another massive jalsa in Ghazi, Haripur. According to sources, more than 60 thousand people were present in this occasion. Before speaking on this jalsa, another prominent figure of Haripur, Yousuf Ayub announced to join PTI in a press conference. In this jalsa various top class political leaders of PTI were present including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omar Cheema, Khawaja Khan Muhammad Hoti, Asad Qaisar, Shah Farman, Sardar Khan, Kamal Ghaznavi, Asif Zubair Shaikh and Zahid Kazmi.

 In both jalsas of PTI in Hazara, ISF played key role in public mobilization to bring maximum people towards jalsa. Success of PTI jalsa in Khanpur and Ghazi has proved that Imran Khan is becoming a real power in all parts of the country and will be giving a tough time to his political rivals.

Another breakthrough for PTI in politics of Mansehra Hazara came in the form of Azam Sawati who joined PTI after resigning from his senate seat of JUI-F. Azam Khan Sawati is a key political figure of Mansehra who became famous after exposing the corruption of federal minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi.  Azam Swati is a very clean political leader who brought all his assets in Pakistan. He didn't take any salary or incentives from government even during his ministry. Joining of Azam Swati in PTI will give PTI a big boost in Mansehra.

PTI has got a big strength in District Abbottabad too after joining of Khursheed Azam Khan in PTI. Khursheed Azam Khan is ex-MPA of PML-N and he belongs to Havelian Tehsil of Abbottabad. PTI has also got a lot of public support in other parts of district Abbottabad including Lora, Seer Sharqi, Seer Gharbi, Circle Bakote and other parts of Galyat. 

PTI Position in Hazara Division--Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is getting popular in all parts of the country and in past few months, party has managed to get some notables in its circle and dozens of electables from various parties have joined PTI, showing confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan. Hazara--which is considered as a stronghold of PML-N is also not an exception but internal rift in the party local leaders have badly damaged the image of PTI in Hazara and party failed to stand as prominent as other parties are in the region.

In District Abbottabad, Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan is the most influential political leader belonging to PML-N who also remained Chief minister of NWFP in past. PML-N got a clear damage to it's popularity on the issue of NWFP renaming to Khyber Pakhtunkhwah and there were division wide protests against PML-N on this issue which gave a room to other parties to emerge and strengthen roots in the region. However, PTI couldn't cash the issue properly and it was PML-Q under the leadership of Aman Ullah Khan Jadoon, Sardar Yousuf and Baba Haider Zaman (who later made his own party) who cashed on this issued and got some political energy through this issue. PTI in district Abbottabad is yet to be organized, it's divided clearly in two factions-- one led by Asif Zubair Shaikh while other led by Sardar Sher Bahadur Khan. The two groups are showing utmost rivalry to each other as if they are representing some different parties with completely different  agendas. Every day, one can read their agressive statements against each others in local newspapers of Abbottabad like Daily Shamal and Daily Muhasib. Those who consider Imran Khan as the last hope and are following his footsteps are really concerned and depressed over this situation. Unfortuantely, center has failed to tackle this issue proerply and at a time when elections are just a year (or may be less) time ahead, PTI has failed to get united in district Abbottabad where they are supposed to fight against big big political giants like Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Sardar Shamoon Yar Khan, Aman Ullah Khan Jadoon, Sardar Yaqoob, Sardar Idrees, Barrister Javed Abbasi, Dr Azhar Jadoon etc. 

In Mansehra, some notable political figures like Syed Munir Shah Tirmizi and his group joined PTI which gave a hope to PTI supporters that unlike previous bi-elections where Niaz Khan Sarkheli of PTI lost badly, now PTI will become stronger, situation remains depressing due to rift between various political leaders of PTI in district Mansehra. Niaz Khan Sarkheli has been appointed district organizer of PTI but many key political personalities of PTI from district Mansehra aren't ready to accept him as Organizer. If situation remains same, it will clearly damage the image of PTI in district Mansehra and it will benefit Sardar Yousuf of PML-Q, Azam Swati and Laiq Muhammad of JUI and also to PML-N in the district. 

Unfortunately PTI is not united in district Haripur as well.  There are two groups within PTI Haripur. Farooq Shah who is leading one group is dreaming to get PTI ticket and he is working on his own while other group led by Kamal Ghaznavi is working separately and he is also looking for a ticket from PTI. Each group claims to be the genuine political force and claims to have support of center. However, workers of PTI in Haripur are also confused as to whom they should support to strengthen the hands of Imran Khan.

It's need of the time that all those who are sincere to the cause of Imran Khan and are serious and honest with PTI should come out of the politics of tickets and should work in a united way to come in a position to fight with political giants of the region. Hazara is not an easy battlefield and if PTI fails to exist as one unit, it will perish in the region and people of Hazara will fall again in the hands of political looters of PML-N, PML-Q and other tested figures.