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islamabad: Pakistan’s now-jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again thrown the dice on Pakistan’s party leadership by appointing Barrister Gohar Ali Khan to the top post of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Dawn reported.
Gohar had earlier secured the position of PTI chairman with the support of Imran Khan in the December 2023 internal party elections.
On December 22, the Election Commission banned the PTI from wearing the “bat” symbol in the upcoming February 8 election, citing irregularities in the party’s internal polls that did not comply with party constitution or election laws.
The party announced new polls scheduled for March 3 and initially named lawyer Ali Zafar as Imran Khan’s candidate for the chairman’s post. However, questions have been raised over whether Zafar will accept the chairmanship.
Dawn newspaper reported that Barrister Gohar announced Zafar’s candidacy from outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, but party insiders suggested Zafar may have withdrawn. However, it remains unconfirmed whether this was voluntary or due to party intervention.
The deadline for submitting nomination papers ended at 3pm on Sunday, leaving Gohar the only candidate to have submitted his candidacy for the top post. Omar Ayub Khan, who heads the 15-member committee, submitted his nomination for the post of general secretary. Imran Khan nominated Yasmin Rashid, currently in prison, in Punjab, Haleem Adil Sheikh in Sindh, Munir Baloch in Balochistan, and Ali Amin Gandapur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Although Mr. Khan’s backed candidates appear certain to win, rival committees have also filed nomination papers to meet ECP requirements and avoid uncontested elections. In particular, Muhammad Khan Madni and Asad Hanif have submitted papers in Punjab, Kawand Baksh Ghulam Muhammad has submitted papers in Sindh, and several panels have submitted papers in Balochistan.
Despite the competitive environment, a party official on condition of anonymity expressed confidence in Gohar’s success and attributed it to the former chief minister’s support.
Unlike the Peshawar elections in December 2023, this election will be held in Islamabad and all four provincial capitals, where more than 6 million party members will be able to physically vote. Four state commissioners will oversee the voting, and results will be announced by 8 p.m. on March 3, with winners notified the next day, Dawn reported.
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