Gohar Ali Khan replaces Imran Khan after getting elected as new PTI chairman unopposed

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has been elected as the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf unopposed, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday.

No candidate submitted papers against Gohar Ali Khan who was nominated by PTI Chairman Imran Khan for the top slot of the party a few days ago.

After the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf intra-party elections, party Chief Election Commissioner Niazullah Niazi while talking to the media said that all the candidates were elected uncontested while Barrister Gohar was elected as the Chairman.

Now Gohar will replace Imran Khan as party chairman.

PTI senior central leader Ahmed Owais was the proposer in the nomination papers filed by Barrister Gohar while Information Secretary Raoof Hasan seconded him.

Dr Yasmeen Rashid has been elected as Punjab President.

Haleem Adil Shaikh has been elected as PTI Sindh President.

In Peshawar, Ali Amin Gandapur has been elected as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President.

Munir Ahmed Baloch has been elected as Balochistan President.

Omar Ayub has been elected as General Secretary of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

PTI CEC Niazullah Niazi said that the party rejected the objections raised by Akbar S. Babar.

Akbar S Babar rejects 'pre-fixed' poll, says will challenge it in ECP

Commenting on the PTI intra-party election, Akbar S. Babar, a former and founding member of the party, said that it’s a ‘sin’ to call it an election. He said that it was a pre-fixed poll.

He said that he would provide evidence to the Election Commission proving that the election was pre-fixed.

“It is a violation of the fundamental rights of workers. I am the core member of the party. It’s a murder of democracy,” he added.

Yesterday, he raised many questions about the fairness and transparency of the intra-party election within the PTI.

Talking to 24NewsHD exclusively yesterday, Akbar discussed critical aspects of the intra-party election and shed light on the challenges and concerns. He termed the intra-party election of PTI just an eyewash.

“It is the first election in which there are no nomination papers and voter list,” Akbar hinted, adding that this fake exercise put the PTI symbol, "Bat", at risk.

He questioned the decision to hold the election at the PTI's central office in Peshawar instead of Islamabad.

Talking to the media today, CEC Niazullah Niazi said that the PTI Election Board has got only one panel and a one-panel election was held.

Police provided security during the PTI intra-party elections and the SSP operations himself supervised the security.

Following the request of the PTI Chief Election Commissioner, the Election Commission had directed the Chief Secretary and IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to make security arrangements.

In its ruling on November 23, the Election Commission of Pakistan voided the intra-party elections of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf conducted in June last year, directing it to hold fresh polls if it did not want to lose its electoral symbol — bat in 20 days.

In a 12-page order announced in the open court, a four-member bench of the election watchdog said, “We are confirmed in our views, that the respondent party [PTI] failed to hold transparent, just and fair intra-party election in accordance with its prevailing Constitution 2019.”

According to the ECP, the PTI elections held on June 10, 2022, were “highly objectionable/disputed”, which could not be accepted at all. “…therefore, it is held that the respondent party has failed to hold its intra-party election within the extended period of one year…instead of taking the final step to invoke the provision of Section 215(5) of the Elections Act, 2017, a lenient view is taken with direction…to hold its intra-party election strictly in accordance with the prevailing party constitution, within 20 days…”

The order also asked the PTI to submit the result along with all the required documents, including the form-65, within seven days to the commission.

Reporter Amir Shahzad