ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved its verdict on a petition moved by senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja against listing him as an independent candidate for general elections, instead of PTI’s candidate.

In the hearing of the related case, Friday, Advocate Sameer Khosa, the petitioner’s counsel, argued that the PTI was still a registered political party as per the ECP’s record. The list of the registered political parties that includes PTI’s name is available on the Commission’s website, he said.

Being a member of PTI, it is the right of the petitioner to be notified as a PTI candidate for general elections instead of having been notified as an independent candidate, the counsel stated.

The ECP bench that heard this case was of the view that Supreme Court decided against the PTI to retain its electoral symbol over not holding the intra-party elections.

Khosa responded that Raja’s petition did not concern the electoral symbol—and it solely challenged the independent status of the petitioner in the general elections.

Heading the five-member bench, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja raised a question: How could the ECP bench decide this case keeping in view that the petitioner also moved the SC in connection with this case.

Raja, who belongs to PTI, is a candidate for National Assembly’s seat NA-128 Lahore. He has to contest the general elections as an independent candidate in the aftermath of an SC decision, last month, disallowing the PTI to retain its electoral symbol.

Raja has also moved the apex court against his independent status in the general elections.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024