PTI may field same candidates on 135 seats

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is likely to retain the same candidates in 135 constituencies for the next elections, sources told The Express Tribune on Wednesday.

This decision was taken among other important decisions in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Sources said that the party is likely to back candidates who supported it through the no-confidence motion, and consultations would soon begin for alternative candidates on the seats vacated by dissident members.

They also revealed that the party is yet to consider electoral alliances in the forthcoming elections. Some members suggested that the party should refrain from allying with anyone in the election, they added.

Sources said that the PTI chief also consulted the party on a nationwide public relations campaign, adding that meeting will soon be held in the constituencies of rebel lawmakers.

It is worth mentioning here that following the deputy speaker’s dismissal of the no-trust vote in the National Assembly (NA), the premier announced the dissolution of the lower house, the summary for which was soon accepted by the president.

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While the Supreme Court (SC) is yet to decide on the matter, the former ruling party is gearing up for early polls.

Prime Minister Imran has already said that his party has learned from its mistakes and would favor ideological members in the next elections.

Earlier, the interim premier urged people on Wednesday to come out and defend Pakistan against the 'latest & biggest assault' on the country's sovereignty and democracy by a "foreign power" through "local collaborators - our Mir Jafars and Mir Sadiqs".

"The people are always the strongest defenders of a country's sovereignty and democracy," Imran said in a tweet.

It was previously reported that PM Imran had requested the apex court to set up a Memogate-style commission to probe into the alleged foreign conspiracy to topple his government.

“It is the genuine aspiration/desire of the answering Respondent [Imran Khan] that this honourable court which has taken cognisance of this matter should hold inquisitorial proceedings as done in the “Memogate case”, constitute a high-powered commission of judges of the Superior Court as done in the mentioned case.

“The said commission must analyse the incriminating evidence, take notice of the blatant horse-trading conducted by these corrupt politicians, some of whose family members are absconders of law and have taken refuge in safe heavens in the west,” reads a statement of facts submitted by Khan through his counsels Imtiaz Rasheed Siddiqui and Chaudhry Faisal Hussain in the suo motu case regarding the ruling of the National Assembly’s deputy speaker which rejected the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

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Well-placed officials of foreign governments commonly known as the “west” expressed their displeasure with the independent approach adopted by Khan and his cabinet, reads the statement.