Due to his disqualification in the Toshakhana case, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan has dealt a serious blow to the party by “deciding against contesting the party chairman election.”
Imran, the only prime minister to be removed from office by a no-confidence motion in April of last year, would not participate in the intra-party polls, PTI Senior Vice-President Sher Afzal Marwat stated in an interview with Geo News.
On Monday, the PTI’s Core Committee formally approved holding the intra-party elections within the 20-day window that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had set. The party will forfeit their bat symbol if it disobeys instructions.
Barrister Gohar Khan told Geo News that the decision would be announced on Friday, or three days from now, despite the fact that the elections are scheduled but the top position is still up for grabs.
Imran chose not to participate since, in the Toshakhana case, he was judged to have engaged in “corrupt practices by hiding the benefits he accrued from the national exchequer wilfully and intentionally,” which resulted in his five-year disqualification as a member of parliament.
PTI spokesman Shoaib Shaheen also told Geo News that the party hasn’t decided who should succeed Imran as chairman and that a decision is anticipated following a party delegation’s meeting with the imprisoned former premier in Adiala.
Geo News was informed by sources that the PTI leader would not be running for the party chairmanship and that a different candidate would be picked by the party.
They further mentioned that Imran had sent a communication in this regard to the party’s core committee from behind bars.
The sources state that elections for the roles of party chairman, vice-chairman, and other organizational positions will take place within the party.
The insiders added that the PTI chief would personally approve all choices pertaining to the party’s organizational affairs, such as approving the selection of a new chairman and party ticket distribution.
The PTI responded to the reports by vehemently disputing the “speculations” regarding the choice of a new party head.
The Imran Khan-led party also disapproved of the senior leaders’ declaration over the selection of the new party chief in a statement posted on its official X handle.
It further stated, “Talks are ongoing on all the major issues regarding the holding of intra-party elections.”
پاکستان تحریک انصاف کے انٹرا پارٹی انتخابات کے انعقاد اور چیئرمین عمران خان کے نئی مدت کیلئے انتخاب میں حصہ لینے کا معاملہ
پاکستان تحریک انصاف کی انٹراپارٹی انتخاب کے حوالے سے میڈیا میں کی جانے والی قیاس آرائیوں کی سختی سے تردید
چیئرمین تحریک انصاف عمران خان کے الیکشن کمیشن…
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 28, 2023
Regarding the party chairman election, the PTI leaders seemed split.
The PTI chief’s point person on legal concerns, Barrister Umair Niaz, told Geo News that the Toshakhana ruling, which disqualified the party chairman for five years, is still pending before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), and that this means that choosing a new party chairman is dependent on it.
In addition, he declared that Imran would continue to lead the party in the event that the verdict was in his favor and that the new party chairman’s name will be revealed following the verdict’s announcement.
But PTI Senior Vice President Marwat informed the press outside Adiala jail that he had met with the prisoner to talk about the issue of choosing a new party chairman.
He claimed to have told the PTI head that the ECP was debating the reasons behind his removal as party chairman and that the disqualification sword was dangling.
“Legal obstacles will prevent Imran Khan from running for party chief, and the consensus has grown through internal polls,” he continued.
After deciding last week that the PTI’s intra-party polls were not transparent, the ECP mandated that new elections be held by the party in order for it to keep its “bat” emblem.
On November 23, the commission issued a reserved ruling ordering the PTI to call new elections within 20 days.
The ECP ruled in the ruling that the PTI had not conducted free and fair elections within the party and that the polls were divisive and offensive.
The ruling said that the PTI’s intra-party elections “cannot be accepted” and ordered it to conduct polls and turn in the results within seven days.
“The PTI will suffer dire repercussions if polls are not held in 20 days. The ruling stated that the [PTI] would not be able to get an electoral symbol if [intra-party] elections were not held.
On August 2, the ECP had sent the PTI notifications for failing to hold intra-party elections, and it had postponed making a decision until September 13
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