PTI's intra-party poll nomination deadline closes

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, nominated by PTI founding chairman for the slot of chairman, files nomination papers

ISLAMABAD:

The submission window for nomination papers in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) intra-party elections came to a close on Sunday as the party gears up to take another shot at reclaiming its iconic ‘bat’ symbol.

The cutoff for filing nomination papers was set at 3 pm on February 25 (Sunday), according to the party’s schedule.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, endorsed by the founder chairman Imran Khan for the chairman position, officially submitted his nomination papers.

The 15-member panel, led by Omer Ayub and nominated by the founder chairman for central organisation responsibilities, also submitted his nomination papers.

Nomination papers for the chairman's role were submitted by Ashraf Qureshi from Sindh, Muhammad Aslam from Balochistan, and Naveed Anjum from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

Read more: PTI to hold intra-party elections on March 3

Dr Yasmin Rashid, nominated by the incarcerated leader from Punjab, entered the race alongside Muhammad Khan Madni and Asad Hanif, submitting nomination papers for the panel of provincial organisation in Punjab.

Haleem Adil Sheikh and Khawand Bakhsh Ghulam Muhammad, nominated by the founding chairman for the organisation in Sindh, submitted nomination papers for two panels.

In Balochistan, Dr Muneer Baloch, also nominated by Imran Khan, witnessed competition from five other candidates who submitted their nomination papers and panels.

Syed Jafar Agha, Nawabzada Aminullah Jogezai, Dawood Shah, Syed Abdul Sadiq, and Babar Marghazani are among those competing for organisational roles in the province.

The organisation of K-P also witnessed active participation, with Ali Amin Gandapur nominated by Imran Khan.

The federal election commission of PTI appointed separate returning officers in the centre and provinces to collect nomination papers, streamlining the election process.

The intra-party elections for PTI nationwide are scheduled to take place on March 3.

It is pertinent to note that following a long legal battle and extensive hearings leading up to the general elections on February 8, the PTI faced a setback last month after the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan's decision to deem the party's internal polls as "unconstitutional," resulting in the removal of its electoral symbol.

In a detailed verdict, the top court highlighted that while minor violations should not warrant the deprivation of a political party's election symbol, the omission of intra-party elections constituted a significant violation of both the law and the constitution.

As a consequence of the ruling, numerous party members were compelled to participate in the elections as independent candidates, adopting alternative electoral symbols. In addition, the PTI lost its entitlement to reserved seats.