ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on a petition filed by its founding member Akbar S Babar challenging the PTI’s intra-party elections.
PTI recently held intra-party elections after which Babar, along with other party members, filed a petition, against the “rigged and fraudulent intra-party polls” requesting the ECP to order the party to conduct fresh polls.
Following the polls held in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to elect the party’s new officebearers including a replacement for ex-chairman Imran Khan, the party members voted in favour of Barrister Gohar Khan, the former PTI chief’s lawyer whom he nominated himself for the high post.
In the wake of the polls, held on 2 December, Babar refused to accept it and moved the electoral watchdog against the irregularities.
The senior politician said that he and other founding leaders are part of PTI following the high court’s ruling.
The politician approached the ECP seeking its intervention in the issue as a member of PTI whose membership was validated by the electoral watchdog.
A five-member commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, conducted the hearing on the petition filed by fourteen PTI members against the intra-party elections.
Babar and others, in the petition, stated that there was no schedule given before the polls and the voter lists were also not released. There was no activity in the party central secretariat related to polls.
The petition added that the intra-party elections were not conducted with the law and party constitution, asking the Election Commission to nullify the elections.
During the hearing today, Babar’s lawyer appeared before the Election Commission saying that the electoral body had ordered to conduct elections under the party constitution.
PTI’s intra-party elections
He added that there was no voter list and procedure followed for the intra-party elections and there is no mention of an election programme in the party constitution.
The lawyer argued that the election commissioner of the party has kept the database with him.
He also showed the footage of intra-party polls to the ECP and submitted it to the commission.
The Eelectoral watchdof adjourned the hearing till 12 December (Tuesday).
