Election 2024: PTI ticket 'snatched' from businessman who quit British nationality

• Ghumman was also Imran’s security chief; spent millions on security.
• PTI ticket awarded to a candidate who is on the run and quit politics.
• Ex-PM “personally asked” Ghumman to surrender British nationality.

LONDON: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has snatched the National Assembly ticket from a businessman who quit his British citizenship reportedly on party founder Imran Khan's instructions and also spent tens of millions on providing security to the incarcerated former prime minister.

The PTI allotted an NA-98 ticket for the Samundari constituency (Faisalabad-IV) to Imran's security chief Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman on 12 January but cancelled his ticket a week later, and allotted it to Mumtaz Ahmed, who is currently not in Pakistan and had quit the PTI after submitting an affidavit that he will not take part in politics for at least five years.

According to a copy of the affidavit dated May 20, 2023, Ahmed declared that he would not take part in politics for five years, would stay out and that he condemned violent attacks on Pakistani state institutions on May 9 by PTI workers.

After approval of his NA ticket from the PTI, Ghumman had started his campaign on the "Radio" symbol allotted to him by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) when he was suddenly told by the party without any explanation that his ticket had been withdrawn and that he should step aside. Two senior PTI leaders confirmed that Ghumman was issued a ticket on Imran's "personal instructions" but then his ticket was changed.

Ghumman was instructed by Imran to "prepare for the elections" and had assured him of a general National Assembly ticket.

Prior to starting his campaign, Ghumman surrendered his British nationality around 16 months ago to comply with the Pakistani electoral laws in the hope he would run on the PTI ticket. The ex-premier had appreciated Ghumman for surrendering his British nationality and shifting to Pakistan full-time to join the PTI.

After Imran's ouster from power through a no-confidence vote in 2022, it was Ghumman who provided round-the-clock, fool-proof security to Imran including 10 bomb and bulletproof cars and around two dozen trained guards. 

He has so far paid tens of millions in the estimated costs for Imran's security by providing him with a bomb and bullet-proof vehicles and guards. His vehicles were seized by the authorities and remain in the police lock-up but he continues to provide security to Bushra Bibi, the former first lady.

PTI leaders who shared the story of Ghumman confirmed that he has also paid around half a million dollars to get the bomb-proof container prepared for Imran for his last Minar-e-Pakistan rally. It's the same container that was tested for its authenticity by Saifullah Niazi and another PTI leader who fired AK-47 bullets on it for testing purposes.

Ghumman faced several cases and he was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in an alleged money-laundering case last year. Imran tweeted: "My security in charge Iftikhar Ghumman is still in FIA custody. He was an overseas Pakistani who left everything & came to Pak to help in our mission for Haqiqi Azadi. He has been deliberately targeted to weaken my security & also to spread fear amongst the PTI hierarchy. We know who is behind all this."

The FIA had said that the Anti-Money Laundering Cell (AMLC) of the agency busted a "racket involved in the illegal business of money laundering based in Lahore and arrested two members of the gang".

According to the FIA officials, Ghumman was running a fake international money-laundering network along with Qaisar Mushtaq and Asim Hussain. 

They said the entire network had been exposed and the people engaged in money laundering through Hundi and Hawala rounded up, adding that the racket was involved in transferring billions of rupees to different countries through illegal ways. It added that the racket was using more than 40 fake companies to transfer money to other countries.

Currently, Ghumman has two FIA cases registered against him. One case has been quashed and he awaits acquittal in the other.

Speaking to Geo News, PTI senior leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed that Imran Khan had approved the ticket for Ghumman. “There is no doubt that Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman has made a lot of sacrifices for the party. He deserves the ticket but we have a system in which the local party makes decisions too."

Gohar further added, “It was decided locally by the party and his ticket was allotted to another candidate. Also, Ghumman didn’t apply to any other seat. We are looking into his case and trying to resolve the matter.”

The PTI is facing serious infighting including allegations of nepotism and financial corruption after the distribution of the party tickets for the national and provincial assembly constituencies in connection with the February 8 general elections as fears grow that the lawyers running the party will further run it into the ground.

Trusted sources within the PTI have revealed that many senior leaders from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were completely ignored in allotting tickets to the candidates. Those who were ignored and bypassed include, among others, none other than the senior party stalwarts Omar Ayub Khan, Hammad Azhar, Rai Hassan, Kanwal Shauzeb and several others.

Imran's sister Aleema Khan, who has been meeting her brother in jail regularly, rejected the allegations made against Umair Niazi by the PTI leaders. She told The News: "Umair Niazi was a point person for Punjab and Gohar Ali Khan for KP, Balochistan and Sindh."

After initially allotting the tickets, Imran distanced himself from the party tickets distribution saying that he was unaware of the distribution of the party tickets.