The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reserved on Monday its verdict on a set of petitions challenging the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intra-party elections.
A five-member commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, conducted the hearing today.
During the hearing today, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan, Barrister Ali Zafar, Babar and others attended the proceedings.
Speaking to the media outside the commission, Gohar noted that the intra-party elections issue had been ongoing for a year now. He urged the ECP to announce the verdict, as the deadline for the filing of nominations for the general election is December 22.
He said if this matter was not concluded, then there would be horsetrading during the elections.
Meanwhile, the LHC ordered the release of PTI Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Marwat after he was arrested on December 14, ten days after being booked for organising a worker’s convention in Swabi.
At the time, PTI chairman had condemned the arrest and said such actions against the party would affect free and fair elections.
PTI polls
On November 23, the ECP annulled PTI’s intra-party polls held in June last year, and asked the party to hold the elections within 20 days if it wanted to retain its “bat” symbol in the forthcoming general elections slated for February 8 next year.
The polls were held on December 3, resulting in Barrister Gohar Khan replacing Imran Khan as PTI chairman.
Estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar said he would challenge the polls, claiming that never have only 15 to 20 people been present in an intra-party election.
Separately, leaders of many other parties, including the PML-N and PPP, have also questioned the legitimacy of the elections.
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