LAHORE, June 6: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf has nominated provincial information secretary Omar Cheema as its candidate for by-polls in PP-156. Punjab president Dr Usman announced the decision at a press conference here on Sunday. Lahore chapter chief Shadaab Jafri was also present.

In the 2002 general election, PTI nominee Tariq Ismael had bagged just 3,500 votes from the constituency. PTI leaders said the party could not encash its vote bank in the last polls due to its weak organization as well as refusal to compromise with the 'corrupt' by joining the PML-Q.

But now, they said, the party had completed almost all of its organizational work and the activists were ready to capitalize on their leader Imran Khan's personality in the by-polls.

They said Mr Khan had assured them of his availability for the election campaign. They said party workers would not give any chance to the state machinery to rig the election. As a precautionary measure, a panel of 25 lawyers had also been formed to take care of any irregularity in the electoral process.

PML-N's Shaikh Amjad Aziz had returned to the Punjab Assembly from this constituency in the 2002 general election. However, he was unseated for having a bogus graduation degree.

The Election Commission declared Haroon Akhtar, the runner up, as the winner from the seat. However, this act of the commission was challenged in a court of law which declared it null and void, and directed that fresh election should be held.