- Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain filed a petition against intra-party elections
- Pervaiz Elahi has challenged ECP’s jurisdiction in hearing the case
- ECP had restored Chauhdry Shujaat as PML-Q president
ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday heard a case filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) stalwart Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain seeking to stop the intra-party-elections.
A five-member panel chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner heard the case. PML-Q Punjab Secretary-General Kamil Ali Agha appeared before the election commission. Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Chaudhry Shafay Hussain appeared on behalf of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
Chaudhry Shujaat’s lawyer Umar Aslam told the commission he has not received a copy of the hearing notice. ECP member Justice Ikramullah replied that the lawyer can approach the court if he has received a notice. He said the news easily reaches through the media nowadays.
The lawyer for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said the commission is supposed to hear the admissibility of the petition. He challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction and maintained that the case was based on a press release. He said the Lahore High Court has directed the Election Commission to determine jurisdiction over the case.
ECP member Justice Ikramullah said the court did not order to bind the election commission from hearing the case. He told the lawyer that the court has only instructed him to raise the matter with the election commission. CEC replied that they have not received any instructions from the LHC.
Pervaiz Elahi’s lawyer said the matter of the ECP’s jurisdiction should be discussed first. CEC responded that the commission will make a decision after hearing arguments. The lawyer replied that PML-Q has been without a party president ever since the commission’s decision to suspend the intra-party elections.
He said the ECP went beyond its mandate in stopping the party from conducting intra-party elections. “Do you have any doubt that the election commission will not take decisions according to the law,” the CEC interjected.
Chaudhry Shujaat’s lawyer asked for time to answer the objections. The commission eventually adjourned hearing till August 19.
Earlier this month, the ECP suspended the PML-Q’s intra-party elections and retained Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as party president and Tahir Bashir Cheem as Secretary General.
PML-Q Punjab Secretary-General Kamil Ali Agha has challenged the ECP’s decision. The party unceremoniously attempted to remove Chaudhry Shujaat as party chief after the election of Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab Chief Minister.
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