Gohar Khan 'removed' as chairman of former PM Imran Khan's party for 'poor' performance: Senior leader

Islamabad: Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has been “removed” as the chairman of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's beleaguered party for his “incompetence” and "poor" performance, senior leader Sher Afzal Marwat has said after it has become clear that it will not be able to form the next government.

Gohar on Thursday announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's next chairman nominee is Barrister Ali Zafar and that internal elections of the 71-year-old former-cricketer-turned-politician's party are scheduled to take place on March 3.

The former ruling party’s top post had been lying vacant for more than a month after not only the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), but the Supreme Court too declared its intra-party elections unlawful and stripped the party of its iconic 'cricket bat' symbol.

Therefore, Gohar, who became the chairman after those elections, was not the party head anymore.

“Incompetence and poor performance are the reasons behind Gohar’s removal as chairman. Barrister Gohar is a gentleman but his performance was not satisfactory, Marwat told Geo News on Friday.

Responding to a question, the PTI leader said that Gohar failed to meet the workers’ expectations. “To run a party office, one has to be active all the time, but this did not happen.” He said that following the election results the party leadership’s approach was not commendable and that Gohar, who should have led the party after the February 8 polls, failed.

The PTI-backed independents won majority seats at the National Assembly in the controversy-marred general election.

However, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have agreed on a power-sharing deal to form a new coalition government, effectively ending Khan's chances of returning to power.

The PTI has rejected the attempts by two of its arch-rivals to form a coalition government, warning that robbing its public endorsement by the "mandate thieves" will result in the worst political instability.

Gohar, announcing the nominee for the top slot on Thursday, said: “This time, our candidate for party chairman will be Barrister Ali Zafar and Omar Ayub secretary general.” He said everyone should do everything in their power to ensure that Zafar is elected as the party’s next chairman.

Gohar also said that the decision to conduct fresh intra-party polls had been made in the light of instructions from the party founder Imran Khan.

PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan had announced holding intra-party polls to elect the chairman, and central and provincial organising bodies on February 5 but the party postponed the elections.

According to PTI's new election schedule, candidates intending to contest the intra-party polls can submit their nomination papers on February 23 and 24, with the scrutiny being carried out on February 25.

Meanwhile, the final decisions on nomination papers will be announced on February 27 and the polling will be held on March 3 at the party's central office and four provincial secretariats.