Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a boycott of the upcoming by-elections in constituencies of its members who were disqualified in connection with the May 9 cases, declaring these individuals to be its “true representatives.”
Several constituencies have become vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recently disqualified a number of PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots.
According to the ECP’s schedule, by-elections will be held in NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, and PP-87 Mianwali-III on September 18, while polling will take place on October 5 in NA-143 Sahiwal-III, NA-185 DG Khan-II, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, and PP-98 Faisalabad-I.
The ruling allies—Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)—have announced their intention to jointly contest the upcoming by-elections across the country.
In a statement issued after a meeting of the PTI’s political committee on Wednesday, the party stated it considers the disqualified members to be victims of political vendetta and has praised their “sacrifices.” The party reaffirmed its full support for them and pledged not to contest the by-elections in their constituencies as a mark of protest.
The statement also voiced strong concerns over the ongoing daily hearings of the Toshakhana case being held in Adiala Jail. The party described such proceedings as a “violation of basic rights” that could undermine the “fairness of the justice system.” It emphasized that daily hearings not only disrupt legal representation but also place unnecessary pressure on the accused.
Additionally, the committee announced that, on the instructions of PTI’s founding chairman, the party is resigning from the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as well as from standing committees and chairmanships.
However, the PTI’s top committee has decided that the party will contest the by-election in Lahore’s NA-129 constituency, which became vacant following the death of Hammad Azhar’s father, Mian Azhar.
The PTI’s political committee thanked its founding chairman, Imran Khan, for showing complete trust in the committee and delegating future political decisions to the body for further consultation and strategic planning.
Meanwhile, multiple PTI MNAs have submitted their resignations from various parliamentary committees. Faisal Amin Khan, the brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, has resigned from all standing committees of the National Assembly. He has stepped down from the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, the Standing Committee on National Food Security, and the Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs. His resignation was formally submitted to Chief Whip Amir Dogar. Another PTI MNA, Asif Khan, has also resigned from the NA standing committees and has sent his resignation to NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
