Raoof Hasan appointed PTI’s CEC for intra-party polls

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday unanimously designated its spokesperson Raoof Hasan as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to oversee the intra-party elections, ARY News reported.

The appointment was made during the PTI’s general body meeting, convened virtually on Wednesday via video link due to the closure of the party’s Central Secretariat.

According to a notification issued by PTI Chief Organiser Omar Ayub, Raoof Hasan has been designated as party’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to oversee the intra-party elections.

The decision came after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) nullified the previous elections due to legal irregularities – which not only dealt a blow to the former ruling party but also resulted in the loss of PTI’s electoral symbol.

On Jan 14, PTI lost “bat” as an election symbol after Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) declared Peshawar High Court verdict null and void.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa – who headed a three-member bench – stated that the plea in Peshawar High Court was inadmissible as a single case cannot proceed in two High Courts at the same time.

Read More: PTI loses “bat” as SC declares PHC verdict ‘null and void’

The verdict said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) failed to present evidence of holding transparent intra-party elections as all political parties are bound to hold free and fair intra-party elections.

Following the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision, the PTI announced that its candidates would contest elections independently.

Talking to journalists outside the apex court, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that all the party candidates will contest the Feb 8 general elections independently.

Barrister Gohar noted that the Supreme court’s order was ‘controversial’ and it had ‘deeply disappointed’ him, announcing that his party would challenge the Supreme Court’s verdict.

“Whether we have the bat or not, the people are still us,” the PTI chief said, noting that it was the court’s duty to ensure that every person’s basic rights are guaranteed.