Gallup survey: 63pc PTI voters won’t vote if Imran doesn’t contest polls

ISLAMABAD: The Gallup survey, done in July this year, had said that 63 percent of the PTI voters would not cast their vote if Imran Khan was not the chairman of the PTI.

The question asked in the survey was, “If Imran Khan will not be the chairman of Tehreek-e-Insaf, but the party still stands in the election, would you vote for such a party?”

The response of the survey was ‘No’ by 63 percent whereas 37 percent still said that they would vote for the party.

Because of his conviction in Toshakhana case, Imran Khan is no more the chairman of the PTI. What is more damaging both for Khan and his party, is the Islamabad High Court’s decision of dismissing the PTI founder’s plea seeking suspension of the trial court’s conviction in the Toshakhana case.

The IHC decision has practically barred Imran Khan from contesting the upcoming general elections to be held on Feb 8, 2024. Although the PTI has the option to approach the apex court because of the limited time available in view of the election schedule, already announced.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan when approached told The News that if the election schedule is not changed, there are only a few days to get a decision from the Supreme Court in favour of Imran Khan. He, however, was not sure it would happen.

Barrister Gohar was of the view that the PTI and its legal experts believe that Imran Khan can still contest the elections as the suspension of imprisonment in Toshakhana case means the suspension of the conviction as well. Most of the legal minds, however, do not think so and insist that suspension of sentence does not suspend the conviction.

The former prime minister had moved the IHC for rectification of its August 28 order, by way of suspension of the judgment on August 5 passed by the trial court. In August this year, Khan was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of Rs100,000 by Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar after the judge found Khan guilty of graft in the Toshakhana case.

He has been convicted of misusing his position as prime minister to sell state gifts worth more than Rs140 million ($490,000) that he had received from foreign dignitaries during visits abroad.