ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has nominated Irfan Saleem as its main candidate for the Senate by-election on a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa general seat that fell vacant after the disqualification of former senator Murad Saeed.
Ghulam Badshah, the driver of Bushra Bibi, has been included as one of the covering candidates, along with Sajjad Mohmand. The move comes amid internal consultations within the party over the upcoming Senate polls.
Party insiders said some leaders had proposed Akhundzada Hussain Yousafzai as a candidate, but the parliamentary board rejected his name and finalized Irfan Saleem instead. Concerns were also raised within party ranks regarding Saleem’s nomination in connection with May 9-related cases.
Reports of internal disagreement suggest that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Salman Akram Raja had supported including Yousafzai as a covering candidate. However, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi reportedly pushed for Ghulam Badshah’s inclusion instead.
Several party members, including Shahid Khattak, reportedly opposed dropping Yousafzai from the list, while objections were also raised over the selection of a non-political covering candidate.
The seat became vacant after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Murad Saeed following his conviction in a May 9 case, leading to his removal under constitutional provisions. Polling for the seat is scheduled for April 23 at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
