In a significant blow to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the nomination papers of its founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan have been rejected for the upcoming elections in both Lahore's NA-112 and Mianwali's NA-89 constituencies.
The decision comes ahead of the scheduled elections on February 8, 2024.
"The PTI founder has been convicted," stated the Returning Officer (RO) assigned to scrutinize the nomination papers for the NA-122 constituency, clarifying the reason behind the decision and signaling a setback for the PTI as the elections approach.
This development follows objections raised by Mian Naseer of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who pointed to Khan's five-year disqualification in the Toshakhana case.
Additionally, the objections noted that the proposer and seconders for Khan did not belong to the NA-112 constituency. In Mianwali, a stronghold for Khan where he has previously won elections, his nomination for the NA-89 constituency was also rejected based on similar grounds.
This decision marks a significant hurdle for PTI and Imran Khan, potentially altering the political landscape ahead of the 2024 elections.