NA by-polls: PTI decides to remove Bilal Ghaffar as Karachi president

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan has summoned PTI Karachi chapter leadership meeting ahead of by-polls on nine Karachi NA seats scheduled for March 16, ARY News reported.

Sources privy to the development told ARY News that the former premier has summoned former PTI MNAs and other Karachi chapter leaders to Lahore to mull over strategy over NA by-polls in nine Karachi constituencies.

The meeting will be held at Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence in Lahore at 4 pm, they say.

Sources further revealed that the party hulled will also mull over replacing PTI Karachi president Bilal Ghaffar with former MNA Aftab Siddique.

PPP to boycott by-polls

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided against contesting the upcoming by-elections on the National Assembly (NA) seats, accepting the proposal tabled by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

According to sources, the decision to boycott the upcoming by-elections was taken during PPP’s parliamentary board meeting, chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Sources told ARY News that the meeting was attended by Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Nair Bukhari, Farhatullah Babar, Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood, Faryal Talpur and candidates of the by-elections.

Read: MQM-P HOLDS MEETING TO REVIEW BY-ELECTIONS PREPARATIONS

It is pertinent to mention here that by-elections will be held in nine constituencies of Karachi on March 16.

The nine constituencies where by-polls are scheduled include: NA-241 Korangi Karachi-III; NA-242 Karachi East-I; NA-243 Karachi East-II; NA-244 Karachi East-III; NA-247 Karachi South-II; NA-250 Karachi West-III; NA-252 Karachi West-V; NA-254 Karachi Central-II; and NA-256 Karachi Central-IV.