ECP reserves verdict on pleas challenging PTI intra-party polls

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the recently-held intra-party polls of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). In the intra-party elections held earlier in December on the directives issued by the electoral body, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was elected as the party's new chairman. Gohar was nominated by Imran Khan, the founding chairman of PTI who is now incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.  At the start of the hearing today, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar maintained that the tenure of a party's chairman was five years and the duration of the panel is three years, hence, intra-party elections are unnecessary when the chairman is elected unopposed.  A member of the ECP said that the matter had not been left without definition as the law stated holding polls in accordance with the established regulations.  He argued that np party's constitution provided a clear explanation of the procedures for conducting intra-party polls but the Elections Act did specify who qualifies as a member.  Zafar maintained that the ECP had given a verdict on February 22 that specified that any individual who was not a party member could not cast a vote in party elections.  He added that the pleas against the party's intra-party elections suggested that the polls were secret. When asked by another member if it was decided that the polls would be held unopposed, Zafar replied in the negative and mentioned that the election schedule of the party had been posted outside all PTI offices.  The counsel elaborated that the party had more than 0.83 million voters. "Apart from a few people, no one approached the ECP," he said adding that PTI was the only party which had all its records accessible online.   Countering the ECP's argument, the PTI counsel said that none of the people who had reservations had submitted fees to the party except Akbar S Babar, and hence, he is the only one to retain his status as a party member.  He added that none of the petitioners had filed nomination papers, stressing that only party members were eligible to challenge PTI's intra-party polls.  Zafar further asked the ECP member what violation did the party commit. "Did we violate the Election Act? No we did not." The counsel further clarified that Babar's plea was for all parties to conduct intra-party polls afresh. He then urged the ECP to dismiss all petitions challenging the party's intra-party polls.  The counsels of other petitioners gave their arguments, following which the ECP reserved its verdict on the pleas.  Earlier, PTI founding member Akbar S Babar, who later developed differences with its leadership, challenged the party's intra-party polls. In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, he requested that the PTI should not be allowed to use the ‘cricket bat’ as its electoral symbol until it held transparent intra-party polls. He also asked the commission to appoint an independent third-party monitor to conduct the PTI’s fresh intra-party polls. Babar termed the PTI’s intra-party elections mere “pretence and deception”. He added that the “fraudulent” election process had deprived the PTI members of their right to vote and participate in the polls. Babar further contended that the PTI had not disclosed the rules and regulations of the intra-party polls; their schedule and procedure; and time for the submission of nomination papers. The report of the intra-party election results was submitted to the ECP by PTI Chief Election Commissioner Niazullah Niazi. The commission was provided with the report on the intra-party poll results of the PTI central and provincial organisations.  

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