ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday reserved its verdict on pleas challenging the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intra-party elections after hearing arguments from all the parties.
An estranged co-founder of the PTI, Akbar S. Babar, and 13 others have petitioned the commission to declare the PTI’s intra-party polls void.
A five-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), headed by Chief Election Commissioner, Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard multiple petitions to annul the PTI’s recently held intra-party elections.
PTI lawyer Barrister Ali Zafar in his arguments said the ECP ordered the party to hold intra-party polls within 20 days of its order. Therefore, the election was ordered under the party’s 2019 constitution.
Zafar said people are also elected unopposed in general elections, which is not illegal.
The lawyer argued that the Elections Act and the party constitution do not mention the method of intra-party elections. There was no prohibition if a party conducted an intra-party election.
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Barrister Ali Zafar further said according to the ECP’s orders, a non-party member could not challenge its decisions. A party could expel any member, and if he or she wished to stay, they could go to the trial court, he added.
“Did you already decide that the elections will be held unopposed?” a member of ECP asked.
The PTI lawyer said it was not like that at all, adding that the news about the party election was also published in various newspapers. “I myself also held a press conference regarding the party elections,” Zafar added.
“We announced the procedure and venue of elections on December 2,” he stressed.
Petitioners Akbar S Babar and another demanded a re-poll as soon as possible after declaring the recent intra-party exercise void.
A second petitioner’s lawyer called it “selection”, not election. He said there was no record of his client having been evicted from the party.
The electoral body after listening to the arguments of all the respondents, reserved its verdict on the fate of PTI’s intra-party election.