Pakistan Punjab Polls: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will start campaigning for the Punjab elections from Monday, April 24. However, the election dates in Punjab have not been announced yet. Party General Secretary Asad Umar has given this information.
Asad Umar said, ‘Tehreek-e-Insaf will officially start its election campaign from tomorrow Monday. They (the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance) are not ready for elections, but we are. Recently PTI finalized the list of 297 candidates.
Tehreek-e-Insaf will formally start the election campaign in all constituencies of Punjab from tomorrow, God willing. Ready or not, we are ready
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) April 23, 2023
Displeasure over ticket distribution in Imran’s party
Party President Imran Khan has finalized his ticket after interviewing all the candidates. All the candidates were interviewed from 6-18 April. Despite this, arbitrariness is being alleged in ticket distribution. It is alleged that many high-profile leaders of the party were not given tickets.
Imran Khan has directed PTI Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar to address the objections of the party members. The PTI constituted a four-member committee to remove objections to the party’s ticket. The panel includes Musaddiq Abbasi, Ijaz Chowdhary, Rai Hasan Nawaz and Aun Abbas. Some more senior members may be included in the panel.
election commission has no money
The Election Commission of Pakistan is not ready to conduct elections. His coffers are empty. In early April, the Supreme Court directed the ECP to hold elections in Punjab on May 14. Earlier in an order on April 4, the Supreme Court directed the government to release 21 billion to the ECP by April 10 and give security for the elections. However, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government has refused to release the funds for the elections after the country’s parliament rejected the proposal.
This order was given by the Supreme Court
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defense Ministry has filed a petition in the apex court requesting the court to withdraw its order to hold elections on May 14. According to news reports, the hearing of the case is going on in the Supreme Court. During the court proceedings, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said that the three-judge bench would not withdraw its order for the elections to be held on May 14.
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