PTI intra-party election case: ECP adjourns hearing until October 2

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday adjourned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intraparty election case until October 2.

In response to PTI’s request for more time to prepare the required documents, the electoral watchdog granted additional time to the party’s leadership.

Reserved seats: ECP dragging its heels on implementation of SC’s clarification order?

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar represented the party before a three-member bench, headed by ECP Member Sindh Nisar Durrani.

A member of the ECP Balochistan Committee questioned whether the PTI’s intraparty elections took place in Chamkani, Peshawar. Barrister Gohar clarified the elections were held only in Islamabad.

The ECP warned that unless the intra-party elections were recognized, PTI could face an uncertain future without an organizational structure.

In a related development, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Monday presided over an ECP meeting over the implementation of the top court’s fresh order but the conclave failed to finalize the related plan of action.

‘Intra-party polls’: ECP rejects PTI plea

In a strong rebuke to the poll body, a four-page clarification order issued by majority judges in the reserved seats case on Saturday noted that putting together the record placed before them and considering the same in the light of the short order in the reserved seats case, “leaves in little doubt that the clarification sought by the Commission– is nothing more than a contrived device and the adoption of dilatory tactics, adopted to delay, defeat and obstruct implementation of the decision of the court. This cannot be countenanced. Even on the application of elementary principles of law, the application filed by the Commission is misconceived.”

The apex court declared that the NA legislators concerned were the returned candidates of PTI.

Reprimanding the ECP, the eight judges noted, “The attempt by the Commission to confuse and cloud what is otherwise absolutely clear as a matter of the Constitution and the law must therefore be strongly deprecated—Nonetheless, the continued failure of, and refusal by, the Commission to perform this legally binding obligation may, as noted, have consequences. This obligation must be discharged forthwith.”

So far, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has neither notified relevant National Assembly lawmakers as PTI’s returned candidates nor has the poll body allotted reserved seats to the PTI, accordingly.