WNAM MONITORING: Pakistan’s main opposition party, led by incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has decided to boycott the upcoming by-elections in protest of the convictions and disqualification of several of its lawmakers.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s political committee announced in a statement on Wednesday that it will not contest by-elections in any constituencies where its lawmakers have been de-seated due to convictions.
Following court decisions, by-elections are scheduled in many federal and provincial legislatures.
The courts convicted several PTI lawmakers, including opposition leaders in both chambers of parliament — the National Assembly and the Senate — for their involvement in multiple cases, including attacks on military installations during protests against Khan’s brief arrest in a corruption case in May 2023.
The convictions resulted in their disqualification, setting the stage for by-elections.
“The party considers these members the genuinely elected representatives of the people of these constituencies and paid tribute to them for standing firmly with Imran Khan’s ideology despite being unjustly convicted by the courts,” the statement said.
However, the government maintains that the lawmakers were convicted in accordance with the law.
The PTI will only run for a single National Assembly seat from northeastern Lahore, which became vacant after the death of veteran politician Mian Mohammad Azhar, who won the seat in the February 2024 general elections.
The party’s lawmakers also announced their resignation from all parliamentary committees in protest of their convictions and disqualification.
Khan is currently serving a 14-year sentence in a corruption case. He is facing dozens of cases ranging from terrorism to corruption, which he dubs “sham.”
