In a significant turn of events, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan since its inception in 1996, has appointed a new head for the first time. Imran Khan, currently serving a three-year sentence, recommended his lawyer Gohar Khan for the party’s top position on November 29.
The party’s chief election commissioner, Niazullah Niazi, confirmed Gohar Khan’s uncontested election on December 2, replacing Imran Khan in the intra-party polls. Speaking to supporters in Peshawar, Gohar Khan pledged loyalty to Imran Khan, stating he would step down once Imran Khan’s conviction is overturned.
Gohar Khan, a Supreme Court lawyer in Pakistan and part of Imran Khan’s legal defense team, graduated from Wolverhampton University in the UK. Notably, Imran Khan broke tradition by nominating a party member rather than a relative as his successor.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had given PTI 20 days to choose a leader after annulling last year’s party election, where Imran Khan was renewed as the head. Imran Khan, a former cricketer turned politician, was convicted in August for unlawfully selling state gifts and was unable to participate in his party’s election.
His ouster in a 2022 no-confidence vote and subsequent legal battles over corruption charges have marked a turbulent period for Imran Khan, who has consistently denied all allegations. The former premier portrayed his removal as part of a campaign against him by then Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the United States, and the Pakistani military—a claim vehemently denied by all three.
Associated Press
