Pakistan’s election body ECP has denied the nomination of former Prime Minister Imran Khan to participate in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party alleges that authorities are preventing a majority of its candidates from taking part in the upcoming February elections.
71 years old, former cricket star and ex-chief executive of the country, currently facing a three-year prison sentence for corruption charges. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a five-year ban on his political involvement, yet he has still submitted nomination papers for the upcoming general election scheduled on Feb 8, 2024.
Khan’s candidacy faced rejection from election officials due to his conviction and perceived disqualification under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as revealed in documents obtained by EAT News. The election officials also turned down the candidacies of former members of his cabinet.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a list of rejected nominees from Lahore, including Imran Khan’s name. The statement indicated that the former prime minister was ineligible as a nominee because he was not a registered voter in the constituency and had been “convicted by the court of law.”
Imran Khan’s attempt to secure a nomination was also turned down in his hometown of Mianwali in Punjab province, as transmitted by his media team.
Since his imprisonment in August, when he faced corruption charges for allegedly unlawfully selling state gifts during his time in office, Khan has not made any public appearances.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) granted him bail in a case accusing him of leaking state secrets, Imran Khan remains engaged in an ongoing battle against a multitude of legal cases that have persisted since his removal from office last year.
Most Popular Leader
Imran Khan, widely regarded as the nation’s most popular leader, has made allegations that Pakistan’s influential establishment is conspiring with traditional political parties to undermine his political party and prevent his chances of running for office again.
Indeed, the military has wielded considerable influence in Pakistan’s political landscape, with periods of direct rule spanning decades since the country gained independence in 1947 from British rule.
Imran Khan has leveled accusations, asserting that both the local and international establishment (United States government) conspired to overthrow his administration. He claims that this plot unfolded after he visited Moscow, which occurred just before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Both Washington and Pakistan’s military have refuted these accusations. Nevertheless, in August, The Intercept, a US-based news website, released what it purported to be the contents of a secret diplomatic cable. The cable suggested that the US administration had an interest in removing Khan from power.
Imran Khan faced removal from power in April 2022 following a no-confidence vote in parliament. He claims to have been aware of a “cipher” during his time in office, asserting that it provided evidence of a conspiracy orchestrated by the US, his political adversaries, and the Pakistani establishment to oust him from power.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had previously decided that Imran Khan’s PTI party couldn’t participate in general elections using its cricket bat as election symbol/ logo. However, a legal win came for Khan’s team when the High Court in the northwestern city of Peshawar suspended this order.
Alongside the 71-year-old Imran Khan, the election commission has turned down the nomination papers of other key members of his party, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Contrastingly, the election commission has approved a nomination bid from former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for two constituencies, a development that comes weeks after a court overturned two corruption convictions against him.
Nawaz Sharif, despite returning home in October 2023, to conclude a four-year self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, remains entangled in legal challenges. He must address a life ban on holding public office, with a hearing scheduled for January.
The PTI has accused Pakistani authorities of a biased approach, alleging the rejection of 90 percent of nominations from its party candidates, while allowing nomination papers from other parties, including Nawaz Sharif’s Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Through the official account of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) on Twitter (X), the party claimed that nearly 90% of the nomination papers submitted by its key leaders, including Imran Khan, were rejected, while 100% of the nomination papers from other parties were accepted. This has raised concerns about a perceived imbalance in the scrutiny process.
The accusation is strong, alleging that Returning Officers (ROs), police, caretakers, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) are acting as facilitators for Nawaz Sharif in the initial phase of elections. The claim suggests that the political process is being compromised at the expense of the future of 250 million people, all in the name of facilitating Nawaz Sharif.
Imran Khan is presently facing a three-year sentence and has been banned from politics for five years following his conviction on corruption charges by a court in Islamabad. He refutes the allegations, asserting that the legal actions against him are designed to prevent him from participating in the upcoming elections, scheduled on 8 Feb 2024.
A large number are flocking to the Eat News for quality news every day, and readers in Taiwan, United States, United Kingdom, India, Japan, France, Pakistan, China, Malaysia and more, now support us financially.
In these chaotic, perilous times, an independent, truth-seeking news organisation like the Eat News is essential. We believe everyone deserves access to trustworthy information. That’s why we choose to keep our reporting open for all readers, regardless of where they live or what they can afford to pay.
The Eat News has no shareholders or billionaire owner, meaning our journalism is free from influence and vested interests – this makes us different. Our editorial independence and autonomy allows us to provide fearless investigations and analysis of those with political and commercial power. We can give a voice to the oppressed and neglected, and help bring about a brighter, fairer future.
If there were ever a time to join us, it is now. You have the power to support us through these volatile economic times and enable our journalism to reach more people, in all countries.
Every contribution, however big or small, makes a difference. Support the Eat News for better reporting.
Support the Eat News ➔
