PTI intra-party polls: Barrister Gohar files nomination papers for party chairman post

• PTI's intra-party polls set to take place on March 3.
• Gohar Ayub submits paper for party's secretary general post.
• Multiple candidates from KP also compete for party chief post.

ISLAMABAD: Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has filed his nomination papers for the slot of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) chairman ahead of the intra-party polls after Barrister Ali Zafar pulled out from the race for the party chief's post citing "conflict of interest" owing to his role as Imran Khan's legal counsel in various cases.

If elected, this would be Gohar's second term as PTI chief as previously he was made PTI chairman in the intra-party polls conducted on December 2, 2023,  The News reported on Monday.

The development comes after the party's last week's announcement of holding fresh intra-party elections on March 3 after the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) plea to uphold its decision declaring the PTI's intra-party elections null and void due to administrative irregularities pertaining to its failure to adhere to its own Constitution and the provisions of the Election Act 2017 and Election Rules 2017.

As per the election schedule issued by party's Federal Election Commissioner Raoof Hasan, the deadline for the candidates intending to contest the intra-party polls culminated on February 25 (Sunday).

Meanwhile, the final decision on nomination papers will be announced on February 27 and the polling will be held on March 3 at the PTI's central office as well as provincial secretariats as part of the party's bid to qualify for the election symbol.

While Gohar submitted his nomination papers for the top slot in the party, the nomination papers of a 15-member panel, headed by Central Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan for the central organisation, were also submitted.

Meanwhile, Ashraf Qureshi from Sindh, Muhammad Aslam from Balochistan and Naveed Anjum from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have also filed their nomination papers for the post of chairman.

Dr Yasmin Rashid, Muhammad Khan Madni and Asad Hanif also submitted nomination papers for the panels for the party's Punjab organisation.

Similarly, nomination papers of two panels led by Haleem Adil Sheikh and Bakhsh Ghulam Muhammad, nominated by the founder chairman, were received for the party’s Sindh organisation.

Balochistan founder chairman’s nominee Dr Munir Baloch and five others submitted their nomination papers along with their panels.

Syed Jafar Agha, Nawabzada Aminullah Jogizai, Dawood Shah, Syed Abdul Sadiq and Babar Murghzani filed their nomination papers along with their panels for the party's Balochistan chapter.

The nomination papers of a panel led by Ali Amin Gandapur, who was nominated by the founder chairman from KP, were also received.

Gandapur is among a few PTI senior members, who had not joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) recently.

The party's election commission has appointed separate returning officers at the Centre and in the provinces, who received nomination papers from candidates seeking to participate in intra-party elections.