Barrister Ali Zafar has withdrew his name for the position of PTI chairman, according to The News.
Zafar, who was announced as the candidate for PTI chairman by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan ahead of the party’s intra-party polls, has emerged as a key figure for the party because he not only represents the party in the Senate but has also been a member of the legal team contesting various cases in multiple courts in recent months.
Earlier this week, the party declared holding new intra-party elections on March 3 in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s judgment in favour of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
In which the Supreme Court upheld the electoral body’s request to uphold its decision declaring the PTI’s intra-party elections null and void due to administrative irregularities resulting from the party’s failure to follow its own Constitution, as well as the provisions of the Election Act 2017 and Election Rules 2017.
According to the PTI’s election timetable, candidates who want to run in the intra-party elections can submit their nomination papers on February 23 and 24, with the scrutiny taking place on February 25.
Meanwhile, the final decision on nomination papers will be published on February 27, and voting will take place on March 3 at the party’s central office and provincial secretariats.
Speaking to The News, Barrister Zafar stated that he feels he cannot be a chairman of the party and also continue his work to ensure PTI founder Imran Khan is released from jail.
“Professionally, I feel that while I’m trying to get Khan Sahib out of jail, if I become the chairman of the party there is a potential conflict. That conflict is that my interest as chairman could be to keep him in jail so my chairmanship could go on.
“I do not want to get into such a conflict of interest. Professionally, I think it is not right,” the lawyer stressed.
On being asked whether the PTI founder had accepted his recusal from vying for the chairman slot, Zafar responded in the affirmative.
