PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday met with the party's founding chief, deposed premier Imran Khan, at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. Following the meeting, Gohar announced that candidate tickets would be finalized in the next two days.
Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Gohar revealed, “A preliminary consultation was held with the PTI founding chairman on the distribution of tickets.” He emphasized that the consultation with Imran became possible due to the Islamabad High Court's order.
Further detailing the discussion, the PTI chairman noted that it was decided during the meeting with Imran that individuals who had publicly criticized the party in news conferences would not be considered for the distribution of tickets.
Gohar further said even if the PTI did not have confidence in the system, it would not pull out of the race. He reiterated that the PTI would not boycott the next elections. Gohar stressed the need for the participation of all political parties in a free and fair election process.
Read also: PTI to participate in polls even without ‘bat’ symbol: Gohar
The PTI chairman was confident that despite the rejection of the nomination papers of most of his party’s candidates, all its opponents would be defeated in the polls. Gohar noted that the Supreme Court had observed that the general elections would be held on February 8.
“The judiciary is requested that now it is your role [that the polls are not postponed],” he added. The PTI chairman maintained that if a political party was singled out and ousted from the polls, it would be a setback for democracy.
He added that such a move would sink the country’s economy.
Read No tickets for those ‘who turned their backs on PTI’
Using ‘cricketing terms’ like his party’s founding chairman, Gohar said the PTI would fight with its under-18 and under-19 teams, not giving its rivals an open field. Gohar claimed that the PTI was the country’s most popular party and it had requested the judiciary to ensure a level playing field in the run-up to the next general elections.
“We have 70% popularity. If a party comes into government by horse trading, how will it deliver? Such a government can never stabilise the country,” he continued. Saying that the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s party was limited to K-P and Balochistan, the PTI chairman accused it of trying to delay the elections.
Gohar told the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that it was its responsibility to conduct free and fair polls. “In such a situation [where allegedly the PTI was not being allowed a level playing field in the run-up to the polls], elections will be held, but what will happen afterwards?” he asked the commission. He requested the ECP to allot the PTI its popular electoral symbol of the ‘cricket bat’.
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