PTI denies 'rumours' about chairman slot in intra-party elections

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat’s claim that party chief Imran Khan will not contest the ‘long-pending’ intra-party elections, being held to fulfill the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) directive by completing the process before December 13, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Earlier, Imran Khan’s lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat – while talking to journalists – claimed that the ousted prime minister would not contest the intra-party elections due to his conviction in Toshakhana case.

Marwat said that the PTI will get a new chairman following the intra-party elections. “In this regard, Imran Khan has conveyed his decision to the party’s core committee from jail,” he added.

Furthermore, Marwat said, the former premier will himself decided the name for new PTI chief. “Once all the constitutional and legal obstacles are removed, Imran Khan will again become PTI chief,” he added.

In August, an Islamabad trial court sentenced the PTI chief to three years’ imprisonment in a separate Toshakhana case. The case, filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), had accused Khan of not mentioning the details of state gifts in his tax declarations.

Later, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) set aside the sentence and ordered his release. However, he was not freed as he was undergoing trial in the cipher case.

Responding to the claims, the PTI spokesperson said that the party ‘strongly rejects’ the speculations regarding the intra-party elections.

“Imran Khan has not conveyed any decision regarding contesting the polls,” the spokesperson said, adding that the PTI chief has not taken any decision to withdraw from the election or nominate another leader.

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

“A formal decision regarding intra-party election procedure and candidates will be issued,” it added.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is planning to hold intra-party elections this week following the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Sources said that the PTI core committee has decided to hold intra-party elections after consultation with the incarcerated party chairman Imran Khan.

The schedule is expected to be released during the current week, the sources said.

On November 23, the Election Commission of Pakistan ordered the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to hold polls within 20 days.

Read more: ECP orders PTI to hold intra-party elections within 20 days

However, the bat would remain the election symbol of the party, the ECP said in its decision on the PTI’s intra-party election that was reserved on September 13.

The election commission had taken notice of the PTI’s intra-party elections. The PTI had submitted details of its party elections on June 08 last year.