Sanam Javaid Khan, jailed activist of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Monday withdrew from the race for the NA-119 constituency in Lahore.
The announcement has come just days before the General Election 2024, which is scheduled to take place on February 8. Sanam’s sister Falak Javaid Khan confirmed this development through a post on X.
Sanam Javaid has been imprisoned for more than six months now in connection with the May 9 violence. A lower court granted her bail on Monday morning but and she was arrested shortly after. Sanam has been arrested more than 12 times in the last few months.
Sanam Javaid was arrested in a separate terrorism case filed in Shadman shortly after she was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore. She was alleged to have been involved in violence during a police operation in Zaman Park.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow Sanam Javaid to contest the upcoming general election against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif had put Nawaz Sharif’s party in trouble. Maryam Nawaz is already running a rigorous election campaign in the constituency.
In her social media post, Falak Javaid said that Sanam Javaid decided to withdraw from the race for the NA-119 constituency in favour of an independent candidate. The decision will play a significant role in the electoral dynamics of the constituency, setting the stage for an intriguing contest in the upcoming elections.
