ISLAMABAD; The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced it will not take part in the upcoming by-elections for constituencies vacated after its lawmakers were disqualified in connection with the May 9 riots. The party said the decision is a mark of protest against what it described as political victimization.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) recently disqualified several PTI legislators following their convictions in cases linked to the May 9 unrest, creating vacancies in multiple constituencies. According to the ECP schedule, by-polls are set for September 18 in NA-66 Wazirabad, NA-129 Lahore-XIII, and PP-87 Mianwali-III. Another round of polling will be held on October 5 in NA-143 Sahiwal-III, NA-185 DG Khan-II, PP-203 Sahiwal-VI, NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, and PP-98 Faisalabad-I.
In contrast, the ruling coalition partners – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – have already announced they will jointly contest the upcoming by-elections across the country.
In a statement issued after a meeting of PTI’s political committee on Wednesday, the party said its disqualified members were “victims of political vendetta” and praised their “sacrifices.”
It reiterated its full support for them and confirmed it would not contest their constituencies in protest. The statement also raised concerns over the ongoing daily hearings of the Toshakhana case being conducted inside Adiala Jail, terming them a violation of basic rights that undermines the fairness of the justice system. PTI argued that such frequent hearings place unnecessary pressure on the accused and disrupt their legal defense.
The committee further announced that, on the instruction of PTI founder Imran Khan, the party will resign from the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as well as from various standing committees and chairmanships. Despite its boycott, PTI made one exception: it will contest the by-election in NA-129 Lahore, which became vacant following the death of Mian Azhar, father of PTI leader Hammad Azhar.
The political committee expressed gratitude to Imran Khan for placing full trust in it and authorizing the body to take key political decisions and develop future strategy. Meanwhile, multiple PTI MNAs have already submitted resignations from different parliamentary committees.
Faisal Amin Khan, brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, stepped down from the Standing Committees on Economic Affairs, National Food Security, and the Parliamentary Task Force on SDGs, formally submitting his resignation to Chief Whip Amir Dogar. Another PTI lawmaker, Asif Khan, also resigned from various standing committees and sent his resignation to National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
