Islamabad,( The COW News Digital)Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced it will boycott upcoming by-elections on the seats vacated by disqualified party members. The announcement came after PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, met him at Adiala Jail and conveyed his message to the media.
Speaking to journalists outside the jail, Aleema Khan stated that Imran Khan believes the recent disqualifications of PTI lawmakers were politically motivated and unjust. “Elections have been stolen, media is being strangled, and the judiciary has been hijacked,” she quoted her brother as saying.
Aleema further added that Imran Khan has declared August 5 and August 14 as critical dates in the party’s upcoming political strategy. “A new phase of the movement will begin on August 14,” she announced, hinting at intensified political activity on Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Highlighting the party’s grievances, Aleema said Imran Khan criticized the ruling coalition, accusing the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of playing the same role as the pro-Musharraf Q-League did in the past. “The government wants to keep my brother’s children from entering Pakistan. They have applied for NICOPs and visas and requested a meeting with their father. If they are allowed, they will come on August 14 too,” she added.
Aleema’s comments come in the wake of several PTI lawmakers being disqualified due to convictions in cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots, during which violent protests erupted after Imran Khan’s brief arrest. Recently, anti-terrorism courts handed down harsh sentences to dozens of PTI leaders and supporters, including notable names like Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz.
In one of the verdicts, 168 individuals were sentenced to 10 years in prison each, while another ruling found 108 out of 185 accused guilty in a case involving an attack on a sensitive institution. In a third case, 28 were convicted and four were acquitted.
The Election Commission has started the process of announcing by-elections on the vacated seats, but PTI’s decision to boycott could significantly alter the electoral landscape.
Political analysts believe the boycott may escalate tensions and widen the political divide as PTI continues its campaign against what it calls an “engineered system.”