ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intra-party election case off its list for the second time on Wednesday.
Initially scheduled for a hearing on May 30, the case was removed due to a bench’s unavailability. A rescheduled hearing for June 6 was set, with notices dispatched to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and spokesman Rauf Hassan to appear on Thursday.
However, the ECP has once more removed the case from its docket, citing the unavailability of a full bench for the hearing. In a previous instance, the ECP had summoned PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Rauf Hasan on May 30, raising objections to the recently held intra-party elections.
The ECP had sought PTI’s response to its inquiry into the internal electoral process, sending a detailed questionnaire to the party regarding its intra-party elections. In May, the ECP expressed further concerns about PTI’s intra-party elections, questioning its status following the purported ‘loss of organizational structure’.
On December 22, 2023, the ECP had revoked PTI’s election symbol due to irregularities in its intra-party elections. The Supreme Court later upheld this decision, leading the party to field its candidates as independents in the February 8 general elections.
Following the general elections, PTI held its intra-party elections again on March 3, and the party now seeks notification from the ECP. However, the ECP has once more raised objections to the new party polls, sending a two-page questionnaire to the party.
The electoral watchdog has questioned PTI’s current “status” as a political party, noting its failure to hold intra-party elections within five years, as per Section 208(1). Consequently, it stated that PTI lost its organizational structure after this lapse of five years.
The ECP also questioned why it shouldn’t begin the process of deregistering the former ruling party and impose a fine for not conducting intra-party elections in a timely manner, as outlined in Section 208(5).
Moreover, the legality of the party’s chief organiser and federal election commissioner appointed by its General Body was questioned, while PTI’s constitution specifies appointments to the former position through its National Council upon recommendations of the Chief Executive Committee (CEC).
