Islamabad, Lahore & Mianwali: Imran to contest from 3 constituencies ‘at least’

ISLAMABAD: As the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders continued unabated, the jailed founding chairman of the party Imran Khan on Wednesday declared to contest the upcoming general elections from “at least” three constituencies – Islamabad, Lahore, and Mianwali.

Talking to journalists after holding a meeting with Khan in Adiala jail, senior PTI leader Ali Zafar along with newly-elected chairman PTI Gohar Ali Khan said “the former prime minister Imran Khan had decided to contest the upcoming general elections from at least three constituencies i.e. Islamabad, Lahore, and Mianwali.”

“For this purpose, we will bring nomination papers for Imran Khan and get his signatures on Thursday, after which it will be submitted to the concerned returning officers as today, we were not allowed to take even a plain piece of paper,” he added.

Zafar said Islamabad High Court (IHC) was set to release its verdict on a petition filed by Imran Khan, in which he had challenged his conviction in the Toshakhana case.

“We’re optimistic that the IHC verdict will soon be announced as the election schedule has already been issued,” he said, and expressed the hope that the verdict would be in PTI’s favour.

He said all the PTI workers had been given directions to file their nomination papers as the country had entered election mode.

“As far as the PTI candidates are concerned, our workers in jail, who have rendered sacrifices for the party at this testing time, would be allotted tickets 100 per cent on a priority basis,” he added.

He said the names of remaining candidates had also been finalised and the final list of those who would be given party tickets for national and provincial assemblies would be announced shortly.

To a question, he said that stopping party workers from filing nomination papers was an undemocratic exercise which would jeopardise free and fair elections, adding “We request the ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan] to take action on this as to who is behind all this”.

Speaking on the occasion, PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said the party wanted elections to be held on February 8 at all costs, and there was no truth in reports the PTI wanted to delay the elections.

He highlighted that his party had time and again stressed the need for a level playing field for all political parties, but still PTI candidates were facing a crackdown, and the ECP was acting as a silent spectator.

He lamented that PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s nomination papers were snatched from his secretary inside Adiala Jail which was condemnable, adding “snatching nomination papers from people like this will certainly make these elections a shame”.

“The impression of fairness and transparency in the elections would be lost if nomination papers are snatched from people,” he added.

He said that party founding chairman Imran Khan would be provided with his nomination papers today (Thursday), and vowed that “Khan Sahib will contest these polls, God willing”.

“Imran Khan has asked all the party workers to file their nomination papers and the decision to allot party tickets would still be taken by Imran Khan himself,” he added.

Gohar said he too would participate in the upcoming election from Buner, his home constituency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

To a question about providing a level-playing field to political parties, Gohar lamented that “Nawaz Sharif can’t play sans his own umpire, and this time again he wants an umpire of his own choice which we will not allow”.

“Our candidates are not even being allowed to enter the ground which is simply not acceptable. PTI’s stance regarding elections being held on time has always been consistent,” he added.

“Wherever our candidates are submitting their nomination papers, the papers are being confiscated…if this continues, we’ll left with no option but to move the courts to take notice of the matter,” he warned.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023