ISLAMABAD, July 1: Ignoring reservations by some local leaders, the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) has finally decided to award party ticket to Asad Umar for the by-election to be held on the National Assembly seat (NA-48) from Islamabad on August 22.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board presided over by PTI Chairman Imran Khan, says an official announcement here on Monday.

The NA-48 seat fell vacant after PTI President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, who had won the elections from this urban seat of the capital, decided to vacate the seat. He retained his home town seat in Multan.

Besides Mr Umer, the party leadership also finalised the candidates for the by-elections to be held on three National and three provincial assembly seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The meeting was attended by Vice-Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Secretary General Pervez Khattak, Additional Secretary General Saifullah Khan Niyazee, Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry and KPK President Asad Qaiser.

The PTI Parliamentary Board members also reviewed the plan for the upcoming by-polls and discussed the names of the candidates.

Imran Khan had himself conducted the interviews of all the candidates who had applied for the party tickets, says the announcement. The party will announce its candidates from Punjab on Tuesday.

The PTI has awarded tickets to Gul Bacha Khan for the National Assembly seat (NA-1) from Peshawar that had been won by Imran Khan after defeating ANP’s Ghulam Ahmed Bilour in the May 11 elections.