ISLAMABAD (Daily Point) — Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), faces a setback as his nomination papers for National Assembly constituencies in Lahore (NA-122) and Mianwali (NA-89) are rejected ahead of the February 8, 2024 polls.
This blow comes amidst a series of challenges for the PTI, with leaders like Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi already in custody. The rejection is based on objections, including a five-year disqualification in the Toshakhana case, the proposer and seconder not belonging to NA-122, and various allegations, such as having an illegitimate daughter and defaulting on social security funds.
The Election Commission of Pakistan also rejects Qureshi’s nomination papers from multiple constituencies, along with Hammad Azhar’s papers from PP-172. While an appeal option is available until January 3, the party faces legal and political hurdles, including the risk of losing its electoral symbol “bat.”
The ECP files a review petition against a court’s order restoring the symbol, potentially leaving the PTI without an electoral identity if the petition succeeds. The party is grappling with a nationwide crackdown and hundreds of Maintenance of Public Order notifications following the May 9 incidents, further complicating its political landscape.
