ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has dissolved all its organisations, structures, wings and sub-organisations to pave the way for formation of new bodies in line with the recently-approved party’s constitution.

All officer-bearers of the party, except chairman Imran Khan, vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and five others, shall cease to hold office.

According to the party’s central media department announcement on Sunday, the PTI has dissolved the existing party structure and a notification in this regard has been issued.

The notification states: “All the existing organisations, structures, wings and sub-organisations of the party at all levels in the provinces of Punjab,

Sindh, Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa (KP), Balochistan and in the areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad Capital Terr­itory stand dissolved in consultation with the chief organiser with immediate effect.”

It adds that all the party office-bearers shall cease to hold office, except Mr Khan, Mr Qureshi, Chief Organiser Saifullah Khan Niazi, Secretary General Arshad Dad, Finance Secretary Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan, Information Secretary Omar Sarfaraz Cheema and OIC Secretary Dr Abdullah Riar.

Talking to Dawn, a spokesman for the PTI said the step to dissolve all the party chapters had been made in line with the party’s new constitution announced on the party’s founding day celebrated on May 1.

The spokesman said the new office-bearers would be nominated within the next few days for an interim period till the time of the elections.

Responding to a question, he said the intra-party elections were expected to be held in the year 2021.

Under the new constitution, uniformity had been brought in the structure of the party that would have different tiers including provincial, divisional and district chapters, he said.

Previously the presidents had the powers to make decisions, but under the new system the committees would be formed at all levels for decision-making and devising policies, he explained.

Besides, a federal election commission would be constituted for conducting the intra-party elections in a free, fair and transparent manner, he said.

Party office-bearers will not be made a member of the commission, which would also be responsible for maintaining and updating the members’ data.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2019