PTI withdraws reference against CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday withdrew reference against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja hours after it was filed with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), Aaj News reported.

"The reference will be filed again after highlighting further legal aspects," the party said in a statement.

It said that the PTI will include the demand for reconsideration of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict in the prohibited funding case in the reference.

Security beefed up ahead of PTI’s protest outside ECP

Earlier in the day, PTI leader Babar Awan filed the reference with the SJC, seeking the removal of the chief election commissioner on account of the “commission of continuous and deliberate misconduct.”

The reference claimed that Sikandar Raja Sultan had violated ECP’s code of conduct and failed to fulfill his constitutional obligations.

Meanwhile, senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed on Wednesday that the CEC delivered the judgment in “urgency,” as it was pressurized by the PDM leaders in the meeting held prior to the verdict.

Fawad claims ECP changed verdict on law minister’s request

“The PTI will protest against this on Thursday (today). The ECP has no right to send references to the government,” he said, adding that the verdict was altered upon the request of the law minister.

He also shared that a reference has been filed against the chief election commissioner and the Sindh members, as he questioned how they were allowed to sign the verdict.