PTI issued notice on plea seeking annulment of intra-party polls

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was issued a notice on Friday by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on a petition filed by founding member Akbar S Babar seeking to nullify the intra-party polls. 

The PTI recently held intra-party elections after which Babar, along with other party members, filed a petition, against "rigged/fraudulent" polls requesting the country's top electoral authority to order the party to conduct fresh elections.

Barrister Gohar Khan, nominated by Imran Khan, was elected as the party's chairman along with other office-bearers.

In the wake of the elections, held on December 2, Babar refused to accept the polls and move the electoral authority against the irregularities. The senior politician added that he and other founding leaders are part of the party following the high court’s decision.

A 5-member commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, conducted the hearing today on the petition filed by 14 PTI members against the intra-party polls.

Babar and others, in the petition, mentioned that there was no schedule given before the elections and the voter lists were also not released. "There was no activity in PTI central secretariat related to elections," stated the plea.

The petition added that the intra-party polls were not conducted according to the law and party constitution, asking the ECP to nullify the elections.

During the hearing, Babar's lawyer said that the electoral body had ordered to conduct polls under the party constitution.

"There was no voter list and the procedure wasn't followed for the intra-party polls," he said, adding there was no mention of an election program in the party constitution.

The lawyer said that the party's election commissioner has kept the database with him.

He also showed the video of intra-party elections to the ECP and submitted it to the commission.

The Election Commission adjourned the hearing till December 12 (Tuesday).