Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf changes candidate for Punjab chief minister

Islamabad [Pakistan]: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday changed its candidate for the Punjab chief minister’s position after holding consultations, citing current political tensions, according to ARY News.

PTI Secretary General Hammad Azha, on social media X, announced Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan as the party’s new candidate for the Punjab chief minister.

He further noted that party founder Imran Khan had earlier nominated Mian Aslam Iqbal for the post but heavy contingents of the police force were deployed outside the Punjab Assembly to arrest him, as reported by ARY News.

Hammad Azhar explained that the party leadership decided to nominate Rana Aftab after holding consultations with the former.
Notably, earlier, the PTI nominated Mian Aslam Iqbal for Punjab chief minister, Salar Khan for Balochistan chief minister, and Ali Amin Gandapur for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief executive.

The announcement was made by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan following a meeting at Adiala Jail with PTI founder Imran Khan, ARY News reported.

Moreover, Iqbal was among the several PTI leaders who were declared absconders in the May 9 case.

Reportedly, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore held 11 PTI candidates as absconders on May 9 last year.

In Friday’s maiden session, 85 members of the PTI who have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council were sworn in.

Earlier on Saturday, Malik Ahmed Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured victory to become the new Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, overcoming a challenge from the candidate fielded by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), ARY News reported.