Reham Khan announces launch of PTI’s NA-19 by-poll campaign

Says she will not launch own political campaign, will support PTI candidate contesting from NA-19 in Haripur

Dispelling rumours of contesting the NA-19 by-polls in Haripur, Reham Khan has instead vowed to support the candidate standing from the constituency as she formally initiated Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s electioneering campaign.

The PTI chief’s wife went on to say that she was not launching her own political campaign, adding that she had already started her “political innings” long ago.

“Me and other party workers will go to Haripur, which is where my my ancestral Panian village is located, to assure Raja Amir Zaman of our all-out support,” she said while speaking to the media in Bani Gala, Islamabad on Friday, Express News reported.

She further said that the campaign would begin today and continue until August 10 in the build-up to the August 16 election.

Read: Political debut? PTI may field Reham Khan in NA-19 re-polls

Expressing her disapproval over the media’s coverage of her degree allegedly being fake, Reham questioned media person’s ‘loyalty’ and questioned why she was treated in an unfair manner when she did not treat them that way when she was an anchorperson.

Voicing concern at the dearth of women in Pakistani politics, Reham said women usually complain of the political atmosphere being inappropriate for them.

Read: Re-polling NA-19, Haripur: Supreme Court ends 16-month legal battle

On June 19, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja had ordered re-polls in the constituency after a tribunal ruled in favour of PML-N candidate Omar Ayub Khan.

Khan had provided proof of irregularities and demanded de-seating of PTI candidate Amir Zaman.

Read: Policy directives: PM orders party to go all out for NA-19 contest

Suspending Zaman’s National Assembly membership on December 31, 2013, the tribunal ordered re-polls in seven out of NA-19’s 437 polling stations.