Akbar S. Babar likely to make PTI takeover attempt

ISLAMABAD: The Akbar S Babar-led group is likely to make an attempt to take over the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at a meeting being held today (Thursday). It may pass a resolution in this regard and chart a course for the future, The News has learnt.

The current leadership of the party is now virtually defunct after the intra-party election was invalidated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and so endorsed by the Supreme Court, resulting in the loss of electoral symbol. The party is, however, still enrolled with the ECP. There were around 90 office-bearers notified after the intra-party elections but their legal status is in limbo after the elections were voided.

Akbar S Babar, whose status as a founding member was also recognised by the Supreme Court during the hearing on the appeal related to the intra-party election, has confirmed to The News about the meeting taking place today. He didn’t share further details other than saying that the media would be briefed after the meeting scheduled to take place at 2:00 pm in Islamabad.

The PTI’s founding members and senior leadership which was sidelined by Imran Khan are going to attend the meeting, including Vice Admiral (R) Javed Iqbal, former senior vice chairman, and Saeedullah Khan Niazi, the founding president of Punjab chapter. Babar is the founding president of Balochistan chapter. Later, he served as PTI’s information secretary.

According to an insider, most of the party workers going to attend tomorrow’s meeting are likely to be from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The meeting may pass a resolution demanding fresh intra-party elections and interim leadership till the time the elections are not held. Although Gohar Khan is the PTI chairman, the poll that earned him this position has already been invalidated. Same is the status of 90 other office-bearers who were elected through this election.

Omer Ayub is the PTI’s secretary general but the ECP doesn’t recognize him; Asad Umar is still the office holder as far as the ECP’s record is concerned. Asad has quit politics. What’s the plan in the mind of Babar about the secretary general remains unclear. Also, if he is confirmed about the other office-bearers who ceased to exist after the invalidation of elections.

Babar was among those who filed a complaint with the ECP that he was not allowed to participate in the contest. The election held on December 2 last year, he demanded, be declared as null and void without any legal effect and the party be directed to hold fresh elections.

“In view of the chequered history of PTI in conducting transparent intra-party elections as partially documented in ECP’s order of 03-11-2023, the Commission may appoint independent third-party monitors to review and monitor fresh intra-party PTI elections,” he had further demanded. Whether he would still want the elections held in this manner or not will become clear today.