Barrister Ali Zafar is the next presidential candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan announced on Thursday as the former ruling party’s top post remains vacant for over a month.
“This time our party chairman candidate will be advocate Ali Zafar and general secretary Omar Ayub,” Gohar told reporters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail after meeting party founder Imran Khan.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has barred the PTI from keeping its election symbol, citing irregularities in their internal polls that did not comply with the party’s own constitution and election laws – and also left it without top posts.
Despite relief from the Peshawar High Court, the PTI’s symbol was removed by the Supreme Court in December, just two months before the February 8 general elections, dealing a major blow to it as it secured reserved seats even after joining the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) post-election remains a challenge.
New internal party elections will be held on March 3, Gohar announced, saying that everyone will do everything in their power to ensure that Zafar is elected as the next party president.
Earlier this month, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan announced internal polls to elect the chairman, central and provincial organizing bodies on February 5, but the party postponed the polls.
Also read: Punjab Assembly session summoned today
According to PTI’s election schedule, candidates intending to contest the internal party polls can submit their nomination papers on February 23 and 24, with scrutiny taking place on February 25.
Meanwhile, final decisions on nomination papers will be announced on February 27 and voting will be held on March 3 at party headquarters as well as provincial secretariats.
Earlier this week, the party — whose candidates won over 80 National Assembly (NA) seats, secured victory in more than 100 Punjab seats and emerged as the single largest party in the KP Assembly in the February 8 polls — announced that it would join the SIC. in the Centre, Punjab and KP in a bid to secure their share of the 70 NA reserved seats for women and minorities, which are allocated proportionally to parties.
