Intra-party elections of PML-N: ECP issues final notices to Shehbaz, Ahsan

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued final notices to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, in their respective capacities as president and secretary general of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for their failure to hold intra-party elections. The electoral body warned the two top office-bearers of the PML-N that action would be taken against their party if they failed to submit reply to the notices by November 21.

A four-member ECP bench comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, Babar Hassan Bharwana, and former Justice Ikramullah Khan heard the PML-N intra-party elections case.

In the proceedings, the bench was informed that no office-bearer of PML–N or their counsel showed up at the hearing.

“It seems that they (the PML-N leaders) are not interested at all in this case —they are given the last opportunity to appear before the commission and file reply by November 21 failing which action would be taken as per law,” warned Khan, the bench member.

The bench then adjourned the case till November 21.

In May this year, the electoral body issued a show cause notice to the PM for his failure to hold intra-party elections of the PML-N in his capacity as the party President, warning that N-League would be declared ineligible to get electoral symbol if intraparty polls are not held at the earliest.

According to the ECP, intra-party polls in PML-N were due by March 13 this year. On N-League’s request, the ECP extended this date and allowed it to hold the intra-party polls latest by May 14, and submit the related certificate by May 21, which the PML-N failed to do.

Section 209 of Elections Act 2017 reads: “Certification by the political party—(1) A political party shall, within seven days from completion of the intraparty elections, submit a certificate signed by an office-bearer authorised by the party head, to the commission to the effect that the elections were held in accordance with the constitution of the political party and this act to elect the office-bearers at the federal, provincial and local levels, wherever applicable.”

Sections 215 (4) of Elections Act 2017 state: “Where a political party or combination of political parties, severally or collectively, fails to comply with the provision of Section 209 or Section 210, the commission shall issue to such political party or parties a notice to show cause as to why it or they may not be declared ineligible to obtain an election symbol.”

The Section 215 (5) reads that if a political party or parties to whom showcause notice has been issued under Subsection 4 fails to comply with the provision of Section 209 or Section 210, the commission may after affording it or them an opportunity of being heard, declare it or them ineligible to obtain an election symbol for election to parliament, provincial assembly or a local government, and the commission shall not allocate an election symbol to such political party or combination of political parties in subsequent election.

Meanwhile, the ECP bench adjourned till November 22, the contempt cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar, and Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry. The defence side sought adjournment in the case on account of the closure of different roads in twin cities due to the PTI’s protest.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022