ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Friday that his party’s candidate Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed would contest the upcoming presidential elections, saying the PTI would not leave the field open for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Speaking to a news conference in Islamabad, Imran Khan said his party did not agree with the Supreme Court’s decision on the change in dates of presidential elections.
The PTI chief said the time given to run the campaign for presidential elections was not enough. He said the Pakistan People Party’s (PPP) stance and reservations were correct.
The PPP, earlier in the day, announced to boycott the July 30 presidential elections after expressing reservations over election schedule and role of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Imran Khan, moreover, thanked Jamaat-e-Islami for its support for the PTI candidate.
The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Balochistan National Party – Awami (BNP-A) also announced a boycott of the presidential poll.
Sources said that the Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) had also decided to boycott the election for president.
Moreover, Chief of the Awami Muslim League (AML), Shiekh Rasheed Ahmed, said that his party would also boycott the polling for the post of president.
The presidential election is set to take place on July 30 instead of the original scheduled date of August 6 following an order of the Supreme Court.
The apex court had issued the order following a petition filed by the federal government seeking a change in the schedule.
DND
