Imran to contest from record 33 seats of National Assembly in by-elections

Former prime minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has decided to set another record by contesting all the 33 seats of the National Assembly by competing the by-elections on seats, which got vacated after his party members' resignations were accepted by the Speaker of the Lower House.

The by-elections are scheduled on March 16. This will be another record by Imran Khan to be the single person from his party to contest 33 seats.

Earlier in October last year, Khan had run for at least eight constituencies and made history by bagging at six seats.

Announcing the news to the media, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the party has mutually agreed to have Imran Khan as its candidate in the upcoming by-elections.

"The other candidates from these constituencies would file their nominations as covering candidates," said Qureshi.

The decision was made during the party's parliamentary committee meeting after a detailed discussion on what the PTI leader termed as "gross violations" of the Constitution, suspension of basic human rights and fundamental rights as well as nose diving economic conditions of the country.

"At least four resolutions were passed during the meeting to draw attention of the apex court and President Arif Alvi towards the violations of the Constitution and fundamental rights," said Qureshi.

"As the government is placing unconstitutional ways to delay the elections in both Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa provinces, this will be a clear violation of the Constitution and punishable under Article 6," Qureshi added.

Qureshi asserted that PTI will not tolerate even an hour's delay in the elections as it had sacrificed its two governments while taking the constitutional route to ensure timely polls.

Khan has been demanding the federal government to announce early general elections in the country, a demand which has been rejected by the Shehbaz Sharif government.

Khan has said that he will take to the streets again and launch another series of protests to pressure the government to hold general elections and not further weaken the already shrunk financial and political situation of the country.


Indo-Asian News Services