Sher Afzal Marwat not given ticket by PTI to contest polls from Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday said Sher Afzal Marwat will not be its candidate from Peshawar, as the party issued tickets to its candidates for the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies seats in the provincial capital for the general elections slated for February 8.

On December 27, 2023, PTI leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Taimur Khan Jhagra raised objections over Marwat contesting polls from Peshawar after the latter had submitted his nomination papers for the NA-32 constituency in the city.

"It would be better if a leader from Peshawar contested from that constituency," Jhagra had said.

Meanwhile, speaking to Geo News, Marwat had said that he had no interest in contesting the polls. 

"The PTI founder has directed me to contest elections from Peshawar," he had added.

The PTI announced that it would issue a ticket to Shandana Gulzar for the NA-30 seat. Sajid Nawaz, Arbab Amir, Arbab Sher Ali and Asif Khan will be issued tickets for various NA constituencies in Peshawar, it said.

On the flip side, Mehmood Jan, Taimur Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Arbab Jehandad, Fazal Elahi, Hamidul Haq, Asim Khan, Mina Khan, Ali Zaman, Malik Shahab, Samiullah, Sher Ali Afridi and Noreen Arif will get PTI tickets for provincial seats in Peshawar, the party said.

On January 10, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) restored the PTI’s electoral symbol ‘bat’ paving the way for the party to head to polls with its iconic symbol in February 8 polls.

The decision was announced following the hearing of PTI's petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision declaring the intra-party election as null and void and revoking their electoral symbol "bat". The court had heard all parties in the case.

In its verdict, the court had termed the ECP's decision ‘incorrect’.

Following the verdict, the court ordered the electoral watchdog to issue a certificate to the PTI and suspended the decision that stripped the party of its symbol.

“PTI is a political party entitled to an election symbol,” the court had said.