The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) elected on Saturday Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the new chairman in its intra-party elections.

"I will continue as his nominee till he is back. And I pray he comes back soon," Gohar posted on X.

Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had directed the party to hold the polls if it wanted to retain its "bat" election symbol.

On Thursday, Gohar submitted his nomination papers which were received by Returning Officer Sardar Masroof Khan at the party’s Central Secretariat in Islamabad.

Earlier this week, PTI's Barrister Ali Zafar announced that Imran would not be contesting intra-party polls, and said that Barrister Gohar had been appointed for the slot of party chairman by the former PM.

A senior party leader who wished not to be named earlier told Business Recorder that Imran would not partake in the intra-party election due to his conviction in Toshakhana reference.

“Under the law, he [Imran Khan] could not contest intra-party election as he has been convicted in Toshakhana reference, but still we’ll consult our legal team as to what could be done. His [Imran Khan] own directives will be final,” he added.

Background

It is pertinent to mention that the PTI held its intra party polls on June 9, 2022, in pursuance of the party’s 2019 constitution, which the commission accepted as correct and confessed in its oral order dated August 30, 2023.

However, on November 24, the ECP declared the intra-party elections of PTI as “highly disputed/objectionable, which could not be accepted at all,” despite earlier verbally declaring these polls as legitimate, and directing the former ruling party to hold the intra-party elections in 20 days, failing which, it would be ineligible for the election symbol of bat.

Later, the PTI core committee deplored the top electoral body’s decision for its “biased” decision against the party as it had already held the polls, however, it approved to hold the intra-party elections once again within 20 days, the deadline set by the ECP.