ECP cancels PTI’s bat symbol for polls

By: News Desk
Published: 06:00 AM, 23 Dec, 2023
ECP cancels PTI’s bat symbol for polls
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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday declared the intra-party elections of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf null and void and took back the bat symbol from the party, reported 24NewsHd TV channel.


Announcing its reserved verdict, a five-member ECP bench — headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja — declared PTI's intra-party elections unlawful. 


The development also came hours after the PTI met with the commission after the Supreme Court ordered the ECP to address the party’s concerns regarding lack of a level playing field in the run up to the polls.


This serves as a major blow to the party as it gears up for the February 8, 2024, elections, with its founder — PTI's voter driving force — already behind for months — and his release does not seem soon.


“PTI has not complied with our directions [...] and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution, 2019, and Election Act, 2017, and Election Rules, 2017,” the order read.


Setting a new precedence, the ECP had taken notice of the PTI’s intra-party in which Barrister Gohar Ali was easily elected as the party’s new chairman, after being nominated by party chief Imran Khan.


The polls were held on December 3, days after the ECP declared as null and void the intra-party polls held in June 2022, giving the PTI 20 days to hold fresh elections or be ready to become ineligible for the poll symbol.


However, the party was on the receiving end of sharp criticism over the polls as estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar announced that he would challenge the entire process. He had alleged that the PTI had carried out a selection process aimed at throwing out party workers to give the reins to a few lawyers.


In its order, which was posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the ECP said that according to the PTI constitution, the Federal Election Commission would be formed to hold intra-party elections.


It said the record submitted by the PTI did not show that any competent authority had appointed the Federal Election Commission in line with established procedure. It added that the appointment of a single federal election commissioner was not a requirement of the PTI constitution and such an individual could not exercise any power to hold the intra-party elections in the absence of a complete commission.


The ECP said the PTI had not complied with its directions and had failed to hold intra-party elections in accordance with the party’s prevailing constitution and the election laws.


“Therefore, the certificate dated December 4 and Form-65 filed by the alleged chairman, is hereby regretted and rejected accordingly,” the ECP said.


“The provisions of Section 215 of the Election Act, 2017 are hereby invoked and the PTI is hereby declared ineligible to obtain the election symbol for which they have applied for,” the ECP said.


Reacting immediately to the development, the PTI termed the decision part of the “famous London Plan” and a “disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI from election.”


It claimed that the party would still win the general elections.




Talking to 24NewsHD TV channel, former ECP secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad said after the decision, the party’s electoral candidates would have to contest the general elections as independent candidates.


He said the party had the option to appeal the decision in the Supreme Court.


Dilshad also said that there was no provision in the country’s election laws which allowed for intra-party polls to be held repeatedly.


“Since the PTI’s intra-party elections were rejected a third time, its candidates would have to contest the polls independently,” he said.


 


 

Categories : Pakistan

News Desk

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