Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has rescinded the notification of its parliamentary board for the upcoming local bodies elections in Islamabad, scheduled for February 15. The party said the decision was taken after it was realised that the notification had been issued in violation of the PTI constitution.
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The parliamentary board was initially notified on December 27 by PTI additional secretary general Firdous Shamim Naqvi. The seven-member board was tasked with nominating candidates for the Islamabad local government elections.
The board included Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, Ali Bukhari, Amir Mughal, Fouzia Arshad, Jamsheed Mughal and Sheraz Kiani. However, the notification was later withdrawn by PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja.
In the rescinding notification, Mr Raja stated that the earlier notification regarding the formation of the parliamentary board stood cancelled. Party sources said the move followed internal concerns over procedural violations.
An insider revealed that two individuals close to former PTI leader Asad Umar were part of the board, which added to internal unease. The matter was subsequently brought to the attention of the party’s central leadership.
PTI Islamabad Region President Amir Mughal said he contacted both the secretary general and PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. He informed them that, under the party constitution, a parliamentary board could not be formed without the consent of the regional president.
“As I was not aware of it, the leadership decided to cancel the notification,” Mr Mughal said. He added that proposals had now been sought from him and a fresh notification was expected soon.
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Mr Mughal also said nomination papers had been submitted for all 125 union councils in Islamabad. Each union council has nine seats, and the party filed multiple nomination papers in each area.
He added that since PTI has been deprived of its election symbol, its candidates would contest the local bodies elections under the banner of the Sunni Ittehad Council. Tuesday marked the last day for submission of nomination papers.