ISLAMABAD – Jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and a significant number of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party members have had their nominations rejected for the upcoming February 8 election, according to party officials.
Imran Khan, currently in prison since August, has been facing trial on various charges that he contends are politically motivated attempts to prevent him from participating in the election.
PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan stated, “Nomination papers of almost all national and provincial leaders of PTI, including Imran Khan, have been rejected. 90 to 95 percent of our candidates’ papers have been rejected.”
Hasan asserted that these disqualifications are part of an agenda aimed at preventing PTI from contesting the election.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier disqualified Imran Khan from office due to a conviction for graft.
Despite this disqualification, PTI submitted nomination papers for Khan last week.
Imran Khan disqualification ‘unprecedented’
The rejection of such a large number of candidates from a single party is unprecedented in Pakistan’s history, noted political analyst Hasan Askari.
He suggested that state institutions may be striving to keep PTI out of the electoral process “at any cost.”
PTI remains determined to participate in the elections and has vowed not to boycott them.
Hasan emphasized, “We will file appeals against all these decisions in each of the constituencies and will use all our constitutional, legal, and political options.”
Imran Khan, aged 71, was removed from office in 2023 after a falling out with the military leaders who had previously supported him into power in 2018.
Khan’s opposition has included accusations of a US-backed conspiracy to engineer his removal and claims of an assassination attempt against him.
The political landscape in Pakistan has seen a crackdown on PTI, with key figures either incarcerated or forced to leave the party.
The ECP is set to announce the final list of contesting candidates on January 23, and PTI’s challenges are expected to lead to appeals in various forums.
