<\/p>\n
\u2022 Marwat claims incarcerated ex-PM has decided not to contest intra-party polls
\u2022 Party \u2018disowns\u2019 statement, says schedule for internal elections yet to be decided
\u2022 Barrister Ali Zafar says PTI chief has nominated \u2018someone\u2019 to contest in his stead<\/p>\n
ISLAMABAD: The Pakis\u00adtan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) found itself embroiled in fresh controversy on Tuesday after it denied a statement by one of its own senior leaders, who had claimed that Imran Khan would not contest the upcoming intra-party polls for the slot of party chairman and that he had picked someone to contest in his stead.<\/p>\n
While the party did not dir\u00adectly name newly-insta\u00adlled Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, it was clear that the clarification thr\u00ado\u00adugh its official social media account was aimed at remarks made by him earlier in the day.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail on Tuesday after a meeting with Mr Khan, Mr Marwat stated that the PTI chief had decided to sit out the intra-party polls due to legal constraints and his disqualification in the Toshakhana case.<\/p>\n
\u201cKhan sahib himself has decided that he will not contest the polls for the office of PTI chairman,\u201d he had said, adding that this decision was taken with consensus.<\/p>\n
However, Mr Marwat also pointed out that the decision could be reversed as soon as his disqualification was set aside.<\/p>\n
But just hours later, the PTI\u2019s central information dep\u00adartment issued a statement \u201cstrongly denying\u201d spe\u00adc\u00ad\u00adulation in the media over the issue. It also denied the claims by a \u201csenior party leader\u201d about Imran Khan not running for the post of chairman in intra-party elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiscussions are ongoing on all important issues regar\u00adding the holding of intra-party elections,\u201d the party statement said, adding that no decision had been made yet with regards to Mr Khan withdrawing from the election for party chairman or nominating another leader in his place.<\/p>\n
The party said that as soon as the leadership reached a conclusion on when to hold intra-party elections, the date and the selection of candidates, the details would be released to the media.<\/p>\n
But Mr Marwat, the party\u2019s new face in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, stuck to his guns in the face of party\u2019s denial, and in response, took to X (formerly Twitter) to say: \u201cWhatever I have said in my media talk about the intra-party election is correct. The decisions were taken by the PTI chairman in the presence of Senator Ali Zafar, Barrister Gohar Umair Niazi and myself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fail to understand who is behind the contradiction and why the misleading statement was issued. The media are advised to verify my statement with the above persons,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Separately, speaking to Geo News<\/em> on Tuesday night, PTI Senator Ali Zafar confirmed that he had indeed met Mr Khan earlier in the day and that there was no confusion within the party.<\/p>\n Mr Zafar claimed that Mr Khan had tasked him to hold consultations and then give his opinion on the situation, so the former premier could make his decision.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo to three decisions were made together with him. Firstly, he asked what is the legal status of the ECP\u2019s order to hold intra-party elections so I told him that it is illegal and we should appeal, so the decision was made to appeal it.\u201d<\/p>\n Secondly, Mr Zafar said, the PTI chief had asked whether the party should go ahead with elections despite appealing the ECP order, to which the senator said they should be held.<\/p>\n \u201cI sense the perception and the party leadership does too, that the ECP is somehow trying to not give the PTI the symbol of the bat.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Zafar said the PTI chief had supported his opinion to hold elections and agreed with it.<\/p>\n A decision was reached that if need be, and if any concerns arose that the ECP would raise an objection if Mr Khan contested the elections, \u201cit is better that we hold elections at the moment, in which Imran Khan doesn\u2019t contest, and we nominate someone else [for party chairman],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr Zafar pointed out that a final decision was yet to be taken on the matter, adding that he would announce the \u201cexact decision\u201d today (Wednesday).<\/p>\n \u201cIf he [Imran] nominates someone else and a final decision is taken, then elections will be held,\u201d Mr Zafar said.<\/p>\n The senator added that two to four names were being considered for the role, and that Mr Khan had already picked one of them.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot disclose it because it was our decision to first have legal consultation, if Mr Khan won\u2019t contest then we will announce the name tomorrow,\u201d he said when asked for a name.<\/p>\n He said Marwat was correct in what he was saying and was present in the meeting with Imran. But he diplomatically added that the PTI statement was also correct since \u201cthe final decision will be announced tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n In yet another statement on Tuesday, PTI said that all new joinings in the party should now be routed through the secretary general.<\/p>\n \u201cSenior Politicians\/Notables on National\/Provincial or Regional level should be routed to Party\u2019s Central Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan for the approval of the Chairman PTI Imran Khan,\u201d a circular stated.<\/p>\n Syed Talal Ahsan in Karachi, Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad and Mohammad Asghar in Rawalpindi also contributed to this report<\/em><\/p>\n Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2023<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u2022 Marwat claims incarcerated ex-PM has decided not to contest intra-party polls\u2022 Party \u2018disowns\u2019 statement, says schedule for internal elections yet to be decided\u2022 Barrister Ali Zafar says PTI chief has nominated \u2018someone\u2019 to contest in his stead ISLAMABAD: The Pakis\u00adtan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) found itself embroiled in fresh controversy on Tuesday after it denied a 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