ISLAMABAD: Expressing concerns over alleged undue favour being extended to Sikander Sultan Raja, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday once again demanded the government to form a parliamentary committee for the appointment of a new chief election commissioner (CEC).
In a meeting held here, the PTI’s political committee reiterated its call for the immediate appointment of a new CEC as Raja’s five-year term concluded on January 26 this year.
However, due to the 26th Constitutional Amendment, Raja has been allowed to continue in his role, with no immediate plans for a successor in sight.
PTI’s political committee called for the resignation of Raja and two retired members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as their five-year terms also concluded last month.
A PTI leader, who declined to be named, expressed concern that although Raja’s term officially ended last month, he still wields power while the government acts as a silent spectator. He said that Raja’s tenure has been marked by controversy, particularly regarding February 8, 2024 general elections, which were plagued by allegations of result tampering, internet outages and significant delays.
However, the ECP has denied PTI’s claims, while the then caretaker government had attributed the disruptions to efforts aimed at maintaining law and order – a claim which international observers also said was done intentionally by the caretaker government to rig the polls.
The tensions between PTI and Raja escalated dramatically in August 2022, when the ECP ruled that PTI had received illegal foreign funding, a charge the party vehemently rejects.
Later that year, the commission disqualified Khan from public office due to undeclared assets, a decision that PTI condemned as politically motivated.
In an unexpected move, the ECP led by Raja is scheduled to hear the intra-party election case of PTI on February 11, despite the party’s concerns about the alleged partiality and bias of the outgoing CEC and the members against it.
Notices have been dispatched by the ECP to PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, ex-central information secretary Raoof Hasan and a dissident party member Akbar S Babar regarding this issue.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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