Imran Khan’s party PTI attempting to tackle leadership vacuum: report

New Delhi: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, founded by Imran Khan, is in the throes of leadership vacuum after the former prime Minister has been jailed along with his wife Bushra Bibi, NDTV reported.

The crisis comes just as the party has lost its poll symbol cricket bat ahead of the general elections to be held next week.

Imran Khan is doing time in a Rawalpindi jail for months while his wife, surrendered last week, is held at home outside Islamabad.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appears not in a position to prepare itself for the election as several of its leaders are also in jail.

The party faces the double whammy of its supporters not being allowed holding rallies and losing cricket bat symbol.

PTI, however, is not ready to give up as its workers have triggered massive online campaigns fielding new candidates , mostly first-timers, NDTV reported citing BBC.

The party continues to take Khan’s advice, in order to work out strategies while planning to approach the high court to remove the trial court’s verdict against Khan and his wife.

Imran Khan was ousted from power following a no confidence motion in April 2022, and subsequently he led rallies against the new government.

The former cricketer reportedly claimed that nearly 200 offences that have been charged against him are fabricated by the military-led establishment to stop him from contesting polls.

Many analysts believe that the general elections, where 12.7 crore people will vote on February 8, have been influenced by the country’s military establishment which continues to play a pivotal role in politics.

Three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country set off discussions surrounding his possibility of ever returning to power again.