The threshold to establish a government requires a party to secure 133 seats out of 265 in the National Assembly. The total seats, including reserved slots for women and minorities, amount to 336, with 169 seats constituting a simple majority.

According to election rules, the campaigning would end at the stroke of midnight between February 6 and 7, meaning no political rally is allowed and candidates can only use closed-door meetings and face-to-face contact with the voters. As per the rules, those violating the law may face imprisonment of up to two years.

The disqualification of Qureshi, 67, comes five days before the February 8 general elections, which Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party is contesting despite a state crackdown and without its famous election symbol, the bat.

Pakistani authorities have said that they have completed all arrangements for holding general elections on February 8, including the printing of over 260 million ballot papers for all constituencies of the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies.