The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday appointed one of Chairman Imran Khan’s lawyers, Sher Afzal Marwat, as its senior vice-president.
“It is notified that Sher Afzal Marwat is hereby appointed as senior vice-president, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf with immediate effect,” read a brief notification issued by PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan. Confirming the development in a posting on X, formerly Twitter, Marwat said this would encourage him to work harder.
“The new responsibilities will Insh’Allah drive me to work harder,” he wrote. “I am indebted to PTI Chairman Imran Khan for his trust in me,” he added.
The lawyer’s appointment is being seen by many observers as the first step toward implementing a policy to grant a maximum number of tickets to lawyers in the upcoming general elections. Reportedly, this plan is aimed at avoiding potential rigging, by having the candidates take up any legal challenges of their own accord, without having to seek representation.
Marwat hails from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and prior to establishing his legal practice served as a civil judge at the Peshawar High Court (PHC). He was appointed to the PTI’s core committee following Khan’s arrest in August, and has served as the former prime minister’s lead counsel in several cases. He has been affiliated with the PTI since 2018 and has increasingly taken on the role of the PTI chief’s spokesperson, as he remains incarcerated with no access to the public.
Prior to joining the PTI, Marwat was affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl). He contested the 2018 general elections as an independent candidate, securing 92 votes in NA-36 (Lakki Marwat) and 33 votes in PK-91 (Lakki Marwat-I).
The lawyer’s rise to prominence in the public sphere has not been free of controversy. In September, he engaged in a physical altercation with PMLN Senator Afnanullah during a live broadcast on Express News. He also engaged in a verbal altercation with other members of the PTI core committee, alleging that some of them were not acting in Khan’s interest. However, he later backed down from these allegations, noting he had been advised to de-escalate the situation.