Senate elections in KP: ‘There’s not a single senator who was chosen without IK’s approval’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Tuesday reaffirmed that all candidates, including Mirza Afridi, who were nominated for the recent Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were selected with the consultation and approval of the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan.

Speaking to the media outside the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), where he appeared in connection with a protest case, Gohar dismissed speculation surrounding the selection process.

“There is not a single senator on the list who was chosen without Khan’s approval,” he stated. “The number of seats we expected in the Senate elections matched the results, which is satisfactory.”

Responding to a question that individuals who publicly distanced themselves from PTI following the May 9 unrest were given Senate tickets while loyal party workers were sidelined, Gohar dismissed the claims as baseless.

“These rumours are false. No one who held a press conference against Imran Khan was given the Senate ticket,” he stated. “Some people mention Mirza Afridi, but his name was finalised by Imran Khan himself, and he never spoke against the party.”

Gohar added that all decisions regarding Senate elections were made under Khan’s guidance, as communicated during Khan’s previous meeting with Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif and Khan’s sisters.

Earlier, the ATC extended the interim bail of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and others in a case registered against them in connection with staging a protest outside the Supreme Court till September 8.

ATC duty judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, while hearing the case, extended the interim bail of PTI’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Senator Shibli Faraz, MNA Sardar Latif Khosa, lawyers, Sardar Muhammad Masroof, Niazullah Niazi and others till September 8 in a case registered against them at Secretariat Police Station.

The court did not hear arguments on the accused’s applications seeking pre-arrest bail.

The court has extended the interim bail of 230 accused. During the hearing, PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, Salman Akram Raja, Sher Afzal Marwat, opposition leader Omar Ayub, and Shibli Faraz filed exemption application before the court, which the court approved.

PTI chairman Barrister Gohar, MNA Zartaj Gull and MNA Latif Khosa appeared before the court with their legal team, including lawyers, Ai Bukhari and Riasat Ali Azad.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025