Jailed ex-PM Imran to contest Feb.8 elections from three constituencies, says PTI

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

Former prime minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala Jail Rawalpindi, would contest the upcoming general elections from three constituencies including Lahore, Mianwali and Islamabad, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Khan announced on Wednesday.

On Aug.5, an Islamabad court had convicted Imran Khan in a case filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that involved concealing details of state gifts and jailed him for three years.

The verdict meant he was disqualified from contesting general elections for five years. However, the same month the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his three-year sentence but he still remains in jail in other cases.

Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court had reserved its verdict on Imran Khan’s petition seeking the suspension of his conviction in the Toshakhana gifts case.

In a media talk outside Adiala Jail, Gohar Khan — flanked by Barrister Ali Zafar — said the PTI wanted elections to be held on Feb.8. He highlighted that his party had time and again stressed the need for a level playing field for all political parties.

“Today, we were very upset at what Shah Mehmood Qureshi said,” he noted, claiming that the PTI vice chairman’s nomination papers had been “snatched” from Qureshi’s secretary. “Snatching nomination papers from people on the street would make these elections sham.”

Gohar Khan added that Imran Khan would be provided with his nomination papers on Thursday, vowing that the PTI founder will contest these polls, God willing.”

“Imran Khan has asked all the party workers to file their nomination papers,” the PTI chairman said, adding that the decision to allot party tickets would still be taken by Imran Khan.

The PTI chief said he too would participate in the upcoming polls from Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Meanwhile, Barrister Ali Zafar said the IHC was set to release its verdict on Imran Khan’s petition challenging conviction in the Toshakhana case. “We hope that the judgment will soon be announced because the election schedule has been released,” he stated, hoping that the verdict would be in the PTI’s favour.

The lawyer said all the PTI workers had been given directions to file their nomination papers as the country had entered into the election mode. “As long as the PTI candidates are concerned, our workers in jail, who have rendered sacrifices for the party in this difficult time, would be allotted tickets on a priority basis,” he said. “The rest of the candidates have also been finalised and their names will be announced soon.”

He also said that stopping party workers from filing nomination papers was an “undemocratic exercise” and would jeopardise free and fair elections. “We request the ECP to take action on this,” the lawyer added.