ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday announced to contest by-polls from all nine seats, vacated after the NA speaker accepted PTI MNAs’ resignation.
Talking to senior journalists, the former premier reiterated he will not leave the field empty for his opponents.
‘I will fight against the rulers at every platform,” he said.
The government alliance’s plans to disqualify him would never be completed, he said.
It should be noted that NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted resignations of only nine PTI MNAs. Shortly afterwards, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced by-elections on September 25.
Imran Khan further said that he made two major mistakes in his political career. He added that he cannot share the first one, but the second one was appointing Sikandar Sultan Raja as the ECP Chief.
The former premier added that two foreign countries offered him funding in the past but he refused. Leaders with popular support cannot be eradicated, he added.
According to the ECP schedule, the by-polls on the nine National Assembly seats would be contested on September 25.
The government accepted the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs including Shireen Mazari, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ijaz Shah, Farrukh Habib, Shandana Gulzar, Fazal Muhammad, Fakhar Zaman, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Jameel Ahmed and Akram Cheema.
According to election schedule released by the ECP, the by-elections will take place in NA 22 Mardan, NA 24 Charsadda, NA 31 Peshawar, NA 45 Kurram, NA 108 Faisalabad, NA 118 Naankana Sahib, NA 237 Malir Karachi, NA 239 Korangi, NA 246 Karachi South.
The ECP said the by-polls contestants can submit their nomination papers from August 10 till August 13.
“The verification of documents will take place on August 17,” said the election commission.
