Elections 2024: PTI fields 75% new candidates

• Out of PTI’s 859 general candidates, 55 percent are making their debut in national-level elections

ISLAMABAD: In the run-up to the 2024 general elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strategically chosen to introduce fresh candidates, with 75 percent of its lineup being newcomers to the electoral arena.

Out of the party’s 859 general candidates, 441 candidates are contesting on the national-level for the first time.

The decision to incorporate new candidates stems from a noteworthy shift in the party’s composition. Reportedly, 74 percent of former members of the national and provincial assemblies have either left the party or opted not to contest in the upcoming elections.

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Following the loss of PTI’s iconic cricket bat symbol, the party’s candidates will now run as independents with party-backed tickets.

Specifically, PTI has issued tickets to 215 candidates for the provincial assembly in Punjab, with only 33 of them being former members. From Sindh, ten former members got PTI’s ticket, while only one former parliamentarian from Balochistan got the party ticket. However, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 78 former provincial and national assembly members got party tickets.

For the National Assembly, PTI has fielded 118 candidates, including 20 former members of the National Assembly (MNAs).

Several prominent leaders who have not left the party but are still notably absent from the electoral race due to legal cases or other considerations, , include Ejaz Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Mohsin Leghari, Fakhr Imam, are notably absent from the electoral race due to legal cases or other considerations.

FORMER PARLIAMENTARIANS FROM DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES CONTESTING ON PTI TICKET:

PUNJAB:

Rawalpindi: Javed Kausar, Ejaz Jazi, Raja Rashid Hafeez
Attock: Jamshed Altaf, Tahir Sadiq
Sargodha: Ghulam Asghar Lali
Mianwali: Aminullah, Ahmed Khan, Irfan Al Lal
Chinot: Saleem Bibi
Faisalabad: Adil Gujar
Toba Tek Singh: Latif Nazir, Sheikh Shahid, Saeed Saeedi, Ashfa Riaz
Jhang: Colonel Ghazanfar Qureshi
Nankana: Mian Asif, Rana Shehbaz, Ejaz Shah
Sheikhupura: Mian Atif, Umar Dhillon, Khurram Chatta
Lahore: Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Shah Mehmood, Zain Qureshi, Ibrahim Khan, Aamir Dogar
Multan: Syed Hasnain, Wasim Khan, Aamir Iqbal, Tahir Chaudhry, Aurangzeb Khachi
Vehari: Jahanzeb Kachchi, Ali Raza, Sami Chaudhry, Kanwal Shuzab
Bahawalpur: Shabir Qureshi
Kot Adu: Khawaja Shiraz
DG Khan: Owais Dareshk, Farooq Dareshk, Zartaj Gul

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Swat: Mian Sharaf Ali, Abdul Karim
Lower Dir: Fazal Hakeem, Dr. Amjad, Azam Khan
Bajaur: Saifullah, Liaquat Ali, Anwar Zeib
Malakand: Ajmal Khan, Shakeel
Banir: Riaz Khan
Shangla: Shaukat Ali
Kohistan: Momina Basit
Batagram: Zubair Khan
Haripur: Akbar Ayub, Arshad Ayub
Swabi: Abdul Karim
Mardan: Tufail Anjum, Muhammad Zahir Shah, Muhammad Islam
Charsadda: Khalid Khan
Peshawar: Khalid Khan

Key figures from Sindh have also been appointed to represent the party in the upcoming elections, including Khurram Sherzaman, Haleem Adil, Alamgir Khan, Faheem Khan, Saifur Rehman, Attaullah, Aftab Jahangir, and Muhammad Shabbir are among those selected to carry the party’s banner in Sindh.

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PTI aims to rejuvenate its political presence by introducing these fresh faces. Notably, the move comes after the departure of 62 former National Assembly members from Punjab, with 15 women and one minority member leaving the party.

In the 2018 general elections, PTI secured 164 National Assembly seats, with a significant shift observed as 70 new members joined the party, including those from other political entities.

As the electoral landscape evolves, PTI’s decision to introduce new candidates reflects a strategic move to adapt to changing dynamics and ensure a diverse representation in provincial constituencies. The upcoming elections are poised to be a dynamic and closely watched political contest.