Ali Zafar will be new PTI Chairman, announces Barrister Gohar

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has put forward Barrister Ali Zafar as its nominee for the next chairman, announced PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Thursday, amidst the prolonged vacancy of the top position in the former ruling party.

Addressing journalists outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail after meeting party founder Imran Khan, Gohar stated, “This time, our candidate for party chairman will be Barrister Ali Zafar and Omar Ayub secretary general.”

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has barred the PTI from using its electoral symbol, citing irregularities in their internal polls that did not adhere to the party’s constitution and election laws, thus leaving the party without its top leadership.

Despite obtaining relief from the Peshawar High Court, the Supreme Court revoked PTI’s symbol in December, just two months prior to the February 8 general elections, posing a significant setback as securing reserved seats, even after forming alliances with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) post-election, remains challenging.

Gohar announced that fresh intra-party elections would be held on March 3, expressing determination that Zafar would be elected as the party’s next chairman.

Earlier this month, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan had announced plans for intra-party polls to elect the chairman and central and provincial organizing bodies on February 5, but the elections were subsequently postponed.

According to the PTI’s election schedule, candidates intending to contest the intra-party polls can submit their nomination papers on February 23 and 24, with scrutiny scheduled for February 25.

Final decisions on nomination papers will be announced on February 27, and polling is set for March 3 at the party’s central office and provincial secretariats.

Recently, the party, which won 93 National Assembly (NA) seats, secured victory in more than 100 Punjab Assembly seats, and emerged as the largest party in the KP Assembly in the February 8 polls, announced a collaboration with the SIC in the Centre, Punjab, and KP to secure its share of the 70 NA reserved seats for women and minorities, allocated proportionally to the parties.