PESHAWAR (Daily Point) — As the nation approaches the forthcoming general elections, internal discord has surfaced within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), involving leaders Taimur Khan Jhagra and Sher Afzal Marwat.
The disagreement stems from Marwat’s decision to contest the polls from the NA-32 constituency in Peshawar, scheduled for February 8 next year, which has drawn objections from Jhagra, a PTI leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Expressing his reservations, Jhagra suggested that it would be more appropriate for a leader from Peshawar to contest from that constituency, emphasizing that the party will determine the candidates’ election locations.
In response, Marwat conveyed to Geo News that he has no personal interest in entering the electoral race. He asserted that PTI founder Imran Khan has instructed him to run for elections from Peshawar, indicating that his candidacy is in line with the party’s directives.
Marwat, who has submitted his nomination papers for the NA-32 constituency, clarified his position amid the internal party discord.
On a broader scale, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has received a substantial number of nomination papers from potential candidates across the country. The ECP data reveals that 28,626 nomination papers have been filed, with 7,242 men and 471 women vying for national assembly seats (general), and 17,744 men and 802 women competing for provincial assembly seats.
The ECP is presently in the process of scrutinizing the submitted nomination papers, with the scrutiny phase set to conclude on December 30. The timeline for appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers extends until January 3, and decisions on these appeals will be rendered by January 10.
The electoral body plans to release the list of candidates on January 11, allowing candidates to withdraw until January 12, just before the ECP allocates electoral symbols on January 13.
Additional ECP data highlights the submission of 459 and 1,365 nomination papers for reserved seats in the national and provincial legislature, respectively. Notably, 361 men and 32 women have submitted papers for non-Muslim reserved seats in provincial assemblies, while the figures for national assembly seats are 140 men and 10 women.
In total, 7,713 individuals have submitted nomination papers for national assembly seats (general), and 18,546 for provincial assemblies (general). The evolving electoral landscape sets the stage for a dynamic and closely watched election season.
