ISLAMABAD: Declaring the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) as “virtually non-existent,” the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has delisted it as a political party and made its electoral symbol of Eagle available for allocation.
“The commission holds and decides that there are no elected office-bearers of APML, therefore, the party is virtually non-existent,” read a 14-page order issued Friday by a three-member ECP bench that heard the case involving internal dispute of APML intraparty elections and allocation of symbol.
The bench comprised Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, and ECP members; Nisar Ahmed Durrani and former Justice Ikramullah Khan.
Due to non-existence of the elected office-bearers in accordance with the party constitution and the provisions of the Act of 2017, the party has been unable to provide valid consolidated statements of accounts of last four years which is the requirement of the Article 17(3) of the constitution read with Section 210 of the Elections Act of 2017, the order read.
“The APML has failed to fulfil the requirement of Section 209 and 210 of the Act of 2017 which is one of the prerequisites for enlistment of a political party in terms of Section 202. In exercise of powers conferred upon it under Article 218(3), read with Section 202(5) of the Act ibid, APML as a political party is hereby delisted and the applications for allocation of symbol submitted by unauthorised and self-styled office-bearers are rejected,” the order stated.
Resultantly, it added, the symbol Eagle becomes available for allocation in accordance with law.
The ECP order mentioned that in response to two press releases issued in July, this year, by the commission, in terms of Section 216 of the Elections Act 20l7 (seeking applications from political parties for allocation of symbols of their choice), three different applications were received on behalf of APML; from Saif-ur-Rehman, Jahan Zareen and Abdul Samee for allocation of symbol Eagle for the upcoming general election. All the three applicants claimed to be the custodian of the party as chairman/ acting secretary general of their own factions.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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