The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is gearing up to launch its election campaign on January 20, according to senior party leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. As the general polls draw near, PTI’s major competitors, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have already initiated nationwide campaigns and finalized candidates for national and provincial constituencies.
Founded by Imran Khan, PTI came to power at the national level in 2018 but faced a setback in April 2022 when it was ousted through a no-confidence motion. Since then, the party has encountered various challenges, including Imran Khan’s imprisonment in May of the previous year, the removal of its electoral symbol (a bat) earlier this month, and a reversal from the alliance commitment with PTI-Nazriati.
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Despite these setbacks, PTI has expressed its commitment not to boycott the upcoming polls and will run with different symbols for its candidates. Barrister Gohar, addressing reporters in Rawalpindi, announced that the party’s full-fledged election campaign would commence on Saturday. He urged party workers to endure hardships until then, with the anticipation of victory on February 8.
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Regarding the distribution of tickets, Gohar mentioned that the final list of all PTI candidates for National Assembly seats would be issued soon. Despite internal challenges, including recent infighting between central spokesperson Raoof Hasan and Vice-President Sher Afzal Marwat, the party appears to have resolved the issues. Gohar assured that notifications would not be necessary moving forward, and Marwat would lead a comprehensive election drive, traveling to Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.