ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has presented a 24-point charter of demands before Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure holding of free, fair, and transparent general elections and provide PTI a level playing field to conduct election campaigns freely.
The PTI’s senior leaders and legal representatives, Barrister Gohar Ali and Dr Babar Awan presented the demands to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja during their meeting with him.
During the meeting, PTI leaders shared their concerns pertaining to the forthcoming general elections scheduled to be held on February 8 and talked about obstacles impeding their election campaign in detail.
Speaking to media after the meeting, PTI spokesperson Barrister Gohar Ali urged the electoral watchdog to release the long-pending written decision to the petitions filed by PTI on October 18 and 30 respectively regarding PTI’s electoral symbol “Bat” to put an end to the prevailing uncertainty once and for all.
He demanded that the ECP should instantly allot the party with the electoral symbol “Bat” and provide a level playing field.
He declared that the CEC assured them that the symbol of the “bat” was of PTI and it would be on the ballot paper in the coming elections, hoping that the ECP would sort out the issue in the next two days.
He highlighted that in the charter of demands, PTI also demanded the release and recovery of ‘kidnapped’ and arrested PTI workers and leaders.
Barrister Ali said that they informed the ECP that PTI was not being allowed to hold public gatherings, rallies and corner meetings in private premises.
He pointed out that either their requests for holding public meetings were unduly delayed or even flatly refused.
He said during the meeting, they highlighted the challenges being faced by PTI in conducting meetings and printing flags and banners, as the party was not even allowed to print party flags and banners.
He said that there were untold obstacles in their election campaign and hence, they requested a notification from ECP to enable a fair and just electoral process.
He stated that they also took up the issue of the illegal release of huge funds by the caretaker government in the meeting, adding that the caretaker government’s move of releasing funds was beyond their constitutional mandate and authority.
Besides, he noted that they also drew the ECP’s attention towards the appointments of PML-N candidates as chairpersons of the power distribution companies (Discos), which was a clear pre-poll rigging and the commission should take instant notice of it.
To a question about the PTI chairman, he categorically said that Imran Khan was irreplaceable and he will remain party chairman despite illegal incarceration and it was out of question to minus him from the electoral battle.
He stressed that it was the constitutional responsibility of the ECP to maintain a level playing field for all political parties; therefore, the electoral body should play its constitutional role in this regard.
He noted that the CEC assured them that the institution would leave no stone unturned and would take all possible steps to conduct free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
He pointed out that at present the PTI was being denied its constitutional, legal, and political rights, adding the CEC assured implementation of all the PTI’s legitimate demands.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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