ISLAMABAD: Two panels, one headed by Imran Khan and the other led by Naik Muhammad Khan, will contest Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s intra-party elections to be held on June 11-12, according to a revised poll schedule announced by the party’s chief election commissioner (CEC), Senator Azam Swati, on Tuesday.

Mr Khan, head of the Insaf Panel, will contest the election for the office of the party chairman against Naik Muhammad Khan, the head of the Ehtesab Panel.

Other heavyweights in Mr Khan’s panel include Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Jehangir Tareen, Arif Alvi, Yar Muhammad Rind, Ishaq Khan Khanwani and Abdul Aleem Khan. Most of these leaders are contesting elections for the offices they have been holding for the past four years.

Mr Qureshi is vying for the office of vice-chairman whereas Mr Tareen is again a contender for the post of secretary general. Both are also facing unknown and weak candidates.

The Ehtesab Panel consists of comparatively weak and unknown candidates except one or two old faces. Therefore, it is widely believed that Mr Khan’s panel will easily win the polls and its candidates will retain their previous positions.

PTI information secretary Shafqat Mehmood told Dawn that the party was using modern technology in the polls and members would be voting through Short Messaging Service on mobile phones. All 2.7 million party members could take part in the elections without coming to polling stations, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2017