LODHRAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former secretary-general Jahangir Tareen’s son Ali Khan Tareen on Thursday submitted his nomination papers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Office as PTI’s candidate for the upcoming by-election of Lodhran’s NA-154 constituency.
The seat fell vacant after the apex court disqualified Jahangir Tareen for not disclosing his assets.
In a statement released on Ali Tareen’s official Twitter account, the entrepreneur and social worker based in Lahore and Lodhran stated that becoming a Member of National Assembly (MNA) was never part of his plan but he made the decision following the “request” of the people of Lodhran.
Although I have been working on the social development of Lodhran and South Punjab for the past many years, becoming an MNA was never part of my plan.
However, the people of Lodhran have become my family and upon their request, I have submitted my nomination papers for NA154.
— Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) December 28, 2017
On the way to ECP office, the father-son duo was showered with flower petals.
JKT & Ali Tareen are on their way to Election Commission’s office, where latter would submit his nomination papers for the upcoming by poll #NA154PTIKa pic.twitter.com/EmBzUvUAJP
— Team JKT (@JKTFanClub) December 28, 2017
Ali Khan Tareen also addressed the party workers and supporters as he was about to submit his nomination papers and said that he would forever be indebted to the people of Lodhran for what they have given his family.
“I always tell them that the questions they are asking are not correct. They should instead be asking me about all of you, of what you have given to me and my family,” he remarked.
“The love and respect given to my party by the people of Lodhran in the 2015 election was overwhelming. Despite the PML-N government at the centre, we managed to win the election with a margin of more than 40,000 votes,” Ali Tareen noted.
“We are forever indebted to the people of Lodhran for that win.”
He added that this was the reason why his family would never forsake the people of the constituency, and now a time had come where he was needed to step up and contest elections.
“The PTI leadership has asked me to be their candidate for the by-election. I am very thankful to everyone. If you think that I am capable, I want to promise you that I will work day and night for the betterment of my workers,” Tareen told the crowd.
Meanwhile, Jahangir Tareen, addressing the party workers at his residence, stated that he nominated his son as PTI candidate on recommendations of party workers and supporters.
Jahangir Tareen had made the announcement of his son’s nomination on Wednesday during a rally in Lodhran.
On December 15, the Supreme Court announced its much-awaited verdict in a case filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s leader Hanif Abbasi, rejecting plea to disqualify Imran Khan and declared PTI’s key party leader Jahangir Tareen disqualified.
The ECP, on the other hand, has stated that the final list of candidates in the NA-154’s by-elections will be displayed on Friday while the scrutiny of the nomination papers would be conducted by January 5, 2018.
The polling in the NA-154 constituency is scheduled to be held on February 12, 2018.