ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan was formally nominated as his party’s candidate for prime minister on Monday.
Imran was nominated as PTI candidate for the post during the party’s parliamentary committee meeting at a private hotel in Islamabad.
As the meeting started, party vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi presented a resolution nominating Imran as the PTI’s premier candidate. The resolution was accepted unanimously by party leaders who also congratulated Imran after the nomination.
In his speech, the PTI chief recalled the party’s history, his own struggles and achievements, including the 1992 World Cup victory, and laid out future plans.
“My focus was not to become an MNA or a prime minister,” Imran said during his address. “The issues over which the nation voted us into power need to be addressed on priority,” he contended further.
Imran continued, “The country is in an economic crisis and we need to steer it out of it.” “We will approach overseas Pakistanis for repayment of debts,” he added.
Further, the PTI chief said, “I was given official protocol [while coming here today] — the country cannot be run like this.”
If we cannot bring change then we will suffer the same fate as MMA and ANP, he asserted, referring to the poor electoral show of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and Awami National Party.
Imran also urged party leaders to “save the money of the nation so it can spent on public welfare.” He vowed, “I will take decisions based on merit and for the betterment of the people.”
Candidates on key posts yet to be named
Despite earlier reports, the party chief did not name anyone on key posts of government, including the speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly.
Sources said the party chief will announce the names at a later date himself.
“PTI will announce senior party leader Qureshi as their candidate for the post of National Assembly speaker,” sources told Geo News earlier.
“Qureshi is not happy with the decision but Imran convinced him to take the post owing to his experience as a parliamentarian which puts him in a position to deal with the active opposition,” sources said.
“Imran Ismail is likely to be announced governor Sindh during the meeting,” sources said, referring to the PTI’s Karachi leader.
However, Shah Mehmood Qureshi speaking to reporters after the meeting dismissed the media reports. “Our central media cell will inform you of such a decision. You (journalists) should not listen to such reports unless they are officially communicated,” Shah Mehmood Qureshi said.
