All that we know about PTI’s picks for prime minister, provincial chief executives

With post-election deal-making in high gear, all parties are weighing their options, and the PTI is no different.

After a flurry of meetings with its imprisoned leader Imran Khan throughout the week, the party recently disclosed its picks for the slots of the prime minister as well as chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Omar Ayub Khan has come forth as the contender for the premiership, whereas Mian Muhammad Aslam has been nominated as the chief minister of Punjab and Ali Amin Gandapur for the same position in KP.

Here, Dawn.com takes a look at the trio handpicked by the PTI leadership for the coveted positions.

Omar Ayub Khan

According to a brief profile published by the Board of Investment (BoI), Ayub attained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Washington University in 1993 and 1996, respectively. In 2007, he was recognised as one of the Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum.

Born on January 26, 1970, Ayub entered the Parliament for the first time during the 2002 elections and served as the state minister for finance in ex-premier Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet.

In 2008, he ran for the elections on a PML-Q ticket from Haripur’s NA-19 constituency, but was defeated by PML-N’s Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq.

Months before the 2013 general elections, Ayub switched allegiance and joined the PML-N. However, he once again lost to PTI’s Dr Raja Amir Zaman.

Ayub challenged the result before an election tribunal, which suspended Zaman’s National Assembly membership and ordered re-polls in seven polling stations. After re-polling, Ayub secured a lead of over 500 votes and was declared victorious.

Later, the tribunal’s order was challenged by PTI’s Dr Zaman before the apex court, which dismissed the same. Subsequently, he filed a review petition against the judgement, which was accepted and Ayub was de-seated from the NA seat in June 2015.

In Feb 2018, Ayub joined the Imran Khan-led PTI. During the same year, he ran for the general elections on a PTI ticket and secured victory, defeating PML-N’s Babar Nawaz Khan.

Following his electoral success, Ayub was appointed to the federal cabinet as the energy minister.

In May last year, Ayub was appointed as the PTI general secretary during a time when the party was facing a state-backed crackdown following the May 9 riots. He was among the few party leaders who stuck with the party despite adversaries.

During the 2024 general elections, Ayub ran as a PTI-backed independent candidate and clinched victory by garnering 192,948 votes, surpassing PML-N’s Babar Nawaz Khan, who secured 112,389 votes.

During the election for the prime minister, Ayub is expected to be up against PML-N nominee and former premier Shehbaz Sharif — who has the support of PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP and BAP.

Mian Aslam Iqbal

Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal is a seasoned politician with over two decades of experience in parliamentary politics. He served as a member of the Punjab Assembly from 2002 to 2007 as an independent candidate, but was an ally of the PML-Q, even holding the position of provincial tourism minister from 2003 to 2007.

In the 2008 elections, he contested on a PML-Q ticket but lost. In the 2013 general elections, he ran as a PTI candidate and emerged victorious.

Returning to the Punjab Assembly for a third term in the 2018 general elections, once again on a PTI ticket, Aslam assumed the role of the minister for Industries, Commerce & Investment.

Meanwhile, in the elections held on Feb 8, Aslam won from PP-152 (Lahore -VIII) by securing 61,847 votes. He was among those PTI leaders who were declared proclaimed offenders in the Jinnah House case.

As PTI’s nominee for the Punjab chief minister, Aslam is expected to face tough competition from Maryam Nawaz, who is the PML-N’s pick for the post.

Ali Amin Gandapur

Nominated for KP chief minister, Gandapur is a prominent PTI leader who served as the federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan from 2018 until April 2022, when the Imran government was sent packing.

Before his stint as the federal minister, Gandapur served as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2013 to 2018. During his tenure in the provincial assembly, he held the role of minister for revenue.

Following the state crackdown on the PTI, Gandapur was named in multiple assault and corruption cases at police stations in Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala. He is currently absconding from the law.