Islamabad [Pakistan], June 4 (ANI): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set the imprisoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s intra-party election case for hearing on June 6, reported ARY News.
The ECP issued notices to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and spokesman Raoof Hassan, directing them to appear on Thursday, June 6.
Earlier, the case was scheduled to be heard on May 30; however, the ECP delisted the same due to the unavailability of a bench.
The notice sought PTI’s response to the commission’s inquiry into the internal electoral process. The election commission had already sent a detailed questionnaire to PTI, seeking information about the party’s intra-party elections.
In May, the ECP raised further objections to PTI intra-party elections and questioned the party’s status after ‘losing organisational structure’.
On December 22, the ECP revoked the PTI electoral symbol ‘bat’ due to irregularities in its intra-party polls. Later, the Supreme Court upheld the order of the electoral watchdog, forcing PTI to field its candidates as independents in the elections held on February 8.
Following the general elections, the PTI once again held its intra-party polls on March 3.
The party has now called on ECP to issue its notification. However, the electoral watchdog has once again raised objections to the recently held intra-party polls and sent a two-page questionnaire to PTI, according to ARY News report.
The ECP raised questions over the current “status” of the PTI as a political party and noted that the Imran Khan-founded party did not conduct intra-party polls within five years, in accordance with Section 208(1). The electoral watchdog stated, “Hence, it lost its organisational structure on lapsing of five years.”
The ECP also questioned why not to start the delisting process of the former ruling party’s registration and impose a fine for not holding timely intra-party elections, according to ARY News report.
According to the ECP, a political party would be registered as per the old law under the Election Act if it submits certificates within a week after intra-party polls, in addition to complete records of elected office-bearers, poll data and results, according to ARY News report. (ANI)
