PTI slams ECP’s statement on Supreme Court verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday slammed the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) statement regarding the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring Imran Khan-founded party eligible for reserved seats and called it an attempt to nullify the court’s order.

In a statement, the PTI said that the election commission’s statement is a collection of “contradictions and an attempt to render the court’s order ineffective”.

“On one hand, the commission has announced implementation of the court’s verdict, while on the other hand, it has denied the verdict, showcasing their criminal behavior”, it stated.

The party that there is no longer any ambiguity that the Election Commission has misinterpreted the court’s order. “The misleading statement cannot absolve the ECP of its crime of violating their oath,” it added.

PTI warned that attempts to deviate from the Supreme Court’s verdict will have severe negative consequences. “The party will not allow the Election Commission to disrespect the court’s order after the public mandate,” it noted.

PTI demanded that the Chief Election Commissioner and members should resign in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict. The party also called for the reins of the Election Commission to be handed over to individuals who uphold the Constitution and law.

A day earlier,  the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it has decided to implement the Supreme Court (SC) verdict declaring PTI eligible for reserved seats.

According to the ECP spokesperson, the commission has issued instructions to its legal team to ensure the implementation of the Supreme Court decision.

The spokesperson clarified that the ECP has not misinterpreted the SC’s verdict and has not declared the intra-party elections as valid. Instead, the commission has held that the PTI’s intra-party elections were not in accordance with the law, and therefore, the candidates who submitted their nomination papers without a party ticket and declaration could not be considered PTI candidates.

A 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.