ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Saturday it had elected Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as new chairman after he was nominated for the post by the ex-premier who has been in prison since August on charges ranging from corrupt practices to leaking state secrets.
The intra-party polls, which have been described as controversial by PTI critics, were held after Pakistan’s election commission ordered Khan’s party to hold them within 20 days to retain cricket bat as its election symbol.
This led to political quandary for PTI officials since some of its members pointed out it would not be possible for Khan, the founding leader and chairman of the party, to run for the post after being disqualified to hold public office in a case involving the illegal sale of state gifts during his tenure in power.
“Intra-party elections conducted,” the PTI said in a brief statement while announcing results.
It informed that Barrister Gohar had been elected unopposed while Omer Ayub Khan had won the contest for the party secretary-general.
The results also named the provincial PTI presidents, saying Dr. Yasmin Rashid would lead the party in Punjab, Ali Amin Gandapur in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Munir Ahmed Baloch in Balochistan and Haleem Adil Sheikh in Sindh.
“I will fulfil chairman’s responsibilities as Khan’s successor and representative,” Barrister Gohar said after the announcement of results. “There are 170 political parties in the country who have been presenting [internal] election results to the Election Commission of Pakistan since 1960. However, their intra-party polls have not be scrutinized like ours have.”
The new PTI chairman said the Pakistani people were watching these developments, hoping it would ultimately lead to an end to political “persecution.”
“This position is with me as a sacred trust until Khan is back,” he added.
One of the founding PTI members, who later fell apart from the ex-PM and other party leaders, however, dismissed the polls even before they were organized.
Akbar S. Babar described the exercise as “selection, elections,” promising to hold a news conference to share “important facts” about the intra-party polls later today.
PTI’s rival party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), also raised objections to the conduct of elections.
PML-N leader and former federal information minister, Mariyum Aurangzeb, told the media the “selection process” only took 15 minutes.
She maintained the intra-party polls were held at a secret place and lacked voters, voter lists and presiding officers.
Ex-PM Khan’s nominee wins party chairmanship unopposed, as critics call polls controversial
https://arab.news/2r57c
Ex-PM Khan’s nominee wins party chairmanship unopposed, as critics call polls controversial
- Barrister Gohar Ali Khan says he will work as Khan’s successor and representative till he returns from prison
- Akbar S. Babar and Mariyum Aurangzeb have described the intra-party polls as “selection” held at secret location
Pakistan president to visit Bahrain on Jan.13-16 to hold trade, defense talks
- Asif Ali Zardari will meet King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad
- Both nations have been seeking to deepen ties following a bilateral investment summit in May 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari will visit Bahrain on Jan. 13-16 where he would meet King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Pakistani foreign office said on Monday, adding the talks would encompass trade and defense cooperation.
Pakistan and Bahrain have maintained close diplomatic, trade, investment and defense relations and have lately been focusing on strengthening their cooperation in key economic sectors.
The Pakistan president’s visit will be focused on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest for both nations, according to the foreign office in Islamabad.
“The visit seeks to reinforce Pakistan’s longstanding cooperation with the brotherly Gulf nation while expanding opportunities for collaboration in trade and economic partnership, defense and security, and people-to-people ties,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
The development comes amid increasing economic engagement between the two countries, following the Pakistan-Bahrain Investment Summit in May last year. Both sides signed contracts worth $13 million at the summit.
Bahrain is also home to a significant Pakistani expatriate community, a major source of remittances to the South Asian country and often highlighted by officials as a key pillar of bilateral relations.
