PTI concerned at CEC’s refusal to president

 

The Core Committee of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) met on Thursday, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Thursday.

According to the party media, the meeting expressed disappointment over the ‘unjustified’ postponement of the hearing on the plea of PTI founder Imran Khan in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The fundamental rights of the ex-PM Imran Khan in Attock Jail are denied, the meeting rued.

The participants said the Supreme Court itself pointed out ‘serious defects’ in the Toshakhana verdict.

The meeting hoped the Islamabad High Court would deal with the matter tomorrow instead of delaying it further and the ex-PM’s sentence would be suspended.

The committee deliberated upon the Chief Election Commissioner’s meeting with the American ambassador and the refusal to meet President Arif Alvi on the election date.

It strongly condemned the CEC’s refusal and described it ‘attack on the Constitution.’

“The Constitution empowers the President to determine the date of general elections after the dissolution of the National Assembly and the election commission is bound to conduct free, fair and transparent elections on the date fixed by the president,” the committee stressed.

The participants were of the view that the CEC is part of the plot to delay the elections.

The committee pondered over measures to bring the matter to the Supreme Court and reiterated its resolve to foil any bid to delay the polls.

It reviewed the party position and election strategy too.

The legal team briefed the meeting about the measures adopted to challenge the ‘illegal’ detention of Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and their ill-treatment during detention.

The core committee expressed concerns about the ‘disappearance’ of Senator Awn Abbas and the attack on the hospital and pharmacy of Dr Nausheen Hamid.

It repeated the call for the release of all the PTI detainees including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Parvez Elahi. He also requested the Supreme Court to take steps to protect the fundamental rights of the party leaders and workers.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, efforts to force political and social figures associated with Tehreek-e-Insaf to announce their separation from the Tehreek-e-Insaf through the police are also considered.

A strong reaction was also expressed to concrete reports of receiving gratuity from political and business figures who did not separate from Tehreek-e-Insaaf.