The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought the details of PTI’s intra-party election from the PTI. The DG Law says that until the commission is satisfied, the election symbol cannot be issued.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that if the party does not get the bat symbol, it will constitute a violation of fundamental rights.
Petitioner Akbar S. Babar called the PTI intra-party election a fraud and demanded a re-poll.
Further hearings on the petitions against the intra-party election was adjourned till December 14.
Barrister Ali Zafar said the party conducted the elections in 20 days on the instructions of the election commission, adding they did not want a major party to be kept away from the electoral symbol.
The chief election commissioner told him the party also did not conduct elections for five years, which was not correct in their view.
The commission’s DG (law) said that according to the Elections Act, it was necessary to submit the details of the intra-party elections within seven days of the exercise. If the commission is not satisfied, how can they issue a certificate?
Talking to the media, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan and the legal team raised questions on the powers of the election commission. “We request the commission to allot us the election symbol of the bat immediately. The PTI represents 70% of the population and depriving it of the bat symbol is a violation of its rights,” he insisted.
Barrister Ali Zafar of the PTI said after the intra-party election, a certificate was issued by the chairman, and every party has adopted the same procedure. The election commission has no authority to decide whether the intra-party election was valid or not, he stressed.
Petitioner Akbar S. Babar, one of the founders of the PTI, said he did not accept selection in the name of election. He called the poll a fraud and claimed they were never held. He demanded a re-poll under independent observers.
