ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, jailed at Adiala Jail, would contest the upcoming general elections from three constituencies.
Talking to media outside Adiala Jail on Wednesday, Barrister Ali Zafar said: “Imran Khan sahib wants to inform that he will be contesting elections from at least three constituencies – Lahore, Mianwali and Islamabad.”
“The IHC is set to announce its verdict on Imran’s petition challenging conviction in the Toshakhana case and we hope the judgment will soon be announced because the [election] schedule has been released,” the lawyer said, hoping that the verdict would be in the PTI’s favour.
آج تحریک انصاف کے وائس چیئرمین شاہ محمود قریشی کے سیکرٹری سے نہ صرف اسکے کاغذات نامزدگی بلکہ ان کے سارے ڈاکومنٹس جس میں انکے بیان حلفی، ٹیکس ریٹرن، NOC تھے سب چھین لیے گئے ہیں۔
کل عمران خان کو کاغذات نامزدگی مل جائیں گے، خان صاحب لاہور، اسلام آباد، میانوالی سے الیکشن لڑیں گئے۔… pic.twitter.com/ztDfH78rIQ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 20, 2023
On August 5, a trial court in Islamabad had convicted Imran in a case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that involved concealing details of state gifts and jailed him for three years.
The verdict meant he was disqualified from contesting general elections for five years. However, the same month the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended Imran’s three-year sentence but he still remains in jail in other cases.
Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court had reserved its verdict on Imran’s petition seeking the suspension of his conviction in the Toshakhana gifts case.
Barrister Zafar said all the PTI workers had been directed to file nomination papers as the country had entered into the election mode.
“As long as the PTI candidates are concerned, our workers in jail, who have rendered sacrifices for the party in this difficult time, would be 100 percent allotted tickets on a priority basis,” he said.
“The rest of the candidates have also been finalised and their names will be announced soon,” Barrister Zafar stated.
He also said that stopping party workers from filing nomination papers was an “undemocratic exercise” and would jeopardise free and fair elections. “We request the ECP to take action on this,” the lawyer added.
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan said the party wanted elections to be held on February 8 at any cost. He highlighted that his party had time and again stressed the need for a level playing field for all political parties.
“Today, we were very upset at what Shah [Mehmood Qureshi] sahib told us,” he noted, claiming that the PTI vice chairman’s nomination papers had been “snatched” from Qureshi’s secretary.
“Snatching nomination papers from people on the street would make these elections a shame,” he said.
Barrister Gohar added that Imran would be provided with his nomination papers tomorrow, vowing that “Khan sahib will contest these polls, God willing”.
Barrister Gohar said he too would participate in the upcoming polls from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner.