- Candidates must immediately withdraw nomination papers: PTI.
- Party directs workers, officials to comply with boycott decision.
- PTI disassociates itself from anyone filing nomination papers.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strictly ordered all its workers and officials to fully adhere to the party’s decision to boycott the Punjab by-elections, directing all candidates to immediately withdraw their nomination papers, The News reported on Saturday.
In a statement issued by the PTI’s Central Media Department, the party categorically reiterated that it would completely boycott the Punjab by-elections, in accordance with the instructions of PTI founder Imran Khan, and would not take part in the poll process under any circumstances.
The Political Committee of the party, in its recent meeting, had decided that PTI will field its candidate for the constituency NA-129, Lahore, which had fallen vacant due to the passing away of veteran politician Mian Muhammad Azhar; his son Hammad Azhar has already announced not to run for the NA seat, citing personal reasons.
It was also emphasised that all candidates must immediately withdraw their nomination papers, amidst reports that some individuals have submitted papers using PTI’s name.
The party instructed all the candidates to immediately withdraw their nomination papers, as the party’s political committee had already announced a complete boycott of the upcoming by-elections in Punjab.
The party instructed all its workers and officials to fully comply with its decision to boycott the by-elections. It stressed that anyone who has already submitted nomination papers must withdraw them immediately.
The statement clarified that PTI completely disassociates itself from any individual filing nomination papers under the party’s name.
It reaffirmed that the PTI remains steadfast in its political and public struggle and will not take part in the Punjab by-elections under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, as part of the former ruling party’s decision to quit from parliamentary standing committees as per Khan’s directions, PTI’s Junaid Akbar has also tendered his resignation as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and as a member of the Standing Committee on Energy to National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
“I write to tender my resignation from the position of Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as well as from the Standing Committee on Energy (Power Division), with a sense of fulfilment and responsibility,” he stated in his resignation letter received by the speaker.
Earlier, MNAs Ali Asghar, Sajid Khan, Shahid Khattak, Faisal Amin Khan, and Asif Khan have all submitted resignations from various National Assembly committees.
Asghar stepped down from the Cabinet, Privatisation, and Planning committees, while Sajid Khan resigned from the Overseas, National Heritage, and Kashmir-related committees, declaring he would even vacate his assembly seat if instructed by Khan.
Faisal, brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, left the Economic Affairs, Food Security, and Parliamentary Task Force committees.
Khattak announced he was withdrawing from all standing committees, while Asif resigned from the Education, National Heritage, Culture, and Information and Broadcasting committees.
