Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has decided not to take part in the by-elections, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday.

Sources informed that the PTI chairman who wanted to contest the elections on 33 National Assembly seats going to be held next month as a sole candidate of the party has decided to withdraw his candidature.

The sources said that Imran has directed the former MNAs of the party to submit their papers for the by-elections on the vacated seat.

The ex-MNAs have already started their electioneering in their respective constituencies. 

The by-election on the NA-193, Rajanpur constituency, will be held on Feb 26 for which the PTI had nominated Imran Khan as candidate.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced the schedule of by-polls on 33 seats of National Assembly on March 16.

The sources said that Imran Khan withdrew his candidature in order to avoid his possible disqualification in the case about his alleged daughter Tyrian White which is being heard in the Islamabad High Court. 

In his reply to the court, Imran Khan, who was a respondent in the case, told the court that he was no more a public office-holder and thus was not answerable to the court for allegedly concealing facts about ‘his daughter’. 

Imran is also fearing his disqualification in the foreign funding case, the sources added. 

Reporter Kifayat Ali Shah