ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has moved the poll entity for the issuance of written order in the case related to its intra-party elections.
The related petition, moved in the ECP by PTI counsels Barrister Ali Zafar and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, on Wednesday, stated that PTI’s intra-party elections were held on June 9, 2022, in pursuance of the party’s constitution.
For this reason, the petition read, the ECP neither questioned, nor alleged any illegality in the holding of the intra-party elections of the PTI. The notices which had been issued to PTI only related to alleged deficiencies in the documentation which had been properly addressed, according to the petition.
The PTI, in the petition, stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in the final hearing of the case, held on August 30, this year, accepted PTI’s submissions and verbally announced its decision that the PTI intra-party elections were duly held on June 9, 2022, and, therefore, the matter stood resolved.
However, after the announcement of the verbal order, no written order was provided, the petitioner said.
“The detailed order may kindly be issued and copy furnished as a matter of urgency because (a) elections are around the corner (b) even, if, for argument’s sake only, an adverse order for re-holding of intra-party elections was to come, PTI would still need reasonable time to hold such elections and (c) PTI being largest party, it is in the interest of justice, for fairness of elections and enforcement of fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution; hence this application,” the petition concluded.
In June, last year, Jamal Akbar Ansari, the then PTI Chief Election Commissioner, submitted new PTI constitution to ECP, with some amendments, along with certificate of intra-party elections and relevant documents. However, the ECP declared those documents as “deficient.” The political party again submitted to the ECP the intra-party documents including notification of elected office-bearers. Again, the electoral body found these documents deficient, and sent them back to PTI for “removal of deficiencies.”-
The commission declared that intra-party elections were required to be held afresh— due to the consequential effects of withdrawal of amendments on the intra-party elections.
The PTI, in its Wednesday petition, took the stance that the commission accepted that on March 28, this year, “some misunderstanding” had led to the passing of the order relating to the rejection of intra-party elections. “After a hearing and submission of affidavits, the honourable commission was pleased to accept that only the constitution August 2022 had been withdrawn,” the petitioner argued.
The only question left; therefore, before the commission was regarding the holding of intra-party election, it added, requesting the commission to issue the written order in the case.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023