PTI core panel insists on appointing judicial officers for elections duty

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s core committee Friday called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to release election schedule immediately, and insisted on appointment of impartial judicial officers as the election staff for conducting free, fair and transparent elections.

“There is a need to complete preparations for free, fair and transparent elections on February 8, 2024,” the core committee said in a meeting here.

The forum also reiterated its demand for immediate issuance of ‘bat’ symbol to the PTI for transparent and effective conduct of elections. It strongly condemned arrest of the PTI leaders and activists ahead of elections.

It emphasised that central leader Sher Afzal Marwat’s arrest from outside the Lahore High Court was completely unconstitutional and illegal, and demanded his immediate release. The committee reprimanded alleged misbehaviour meted out to the PTI core committee member and senior legal expert Shoaib Shaheen at Quetta airport and preventing him from attending a convention.

The meeting made it clear that attempts to exclude PTI from peaceful political activities on the strength of the state, and to exclude it from elections was a serious attack on democracy, calling on the ‘long-term unconstitutional, illegal and unrepresentative caretaker governments to stop crushing democracy’ by force.

The Election Commission was urged to ensure equal opportunities to all political parties to participate in elections. It expressed complete detachment from all kinds of hate campaign against the state institutions/ personalities.

“Decision-making in the PTI is based on strong foundation of mutual consultation: The decisions or personal actions of an individual are neither allowed nor encouraged in the party. All decisions of PTI are taken in detailed consultation and complete consensus in core committee meetings,” it explained.

The committee also maintained that the decisions of the core committee are implemented after formal approval of the founder chairman, Imran Khan, and that any political/ cultural campaign launched without approval of the core committee and founder chairman had nothing to do with the PTI and the workers could not be part of any such campaign.

The forum said the PTI had nothing to do with the content posted by Salman Ahmed and others on their private social media accounts and the PTI was not responsible for it. “We also have nothing to do with the activities being carried out by various Vloggers from abroad nor should there be any attempt to link them with the PTI.

“Instead of campaigning against the state institutions, we are convinced of the strength of their role within the limits of the constitution and law and their positive role in construction and development of the country. The PTI believes in peaceful struggle within the framework of the constitution and law, despite the worst oppression and fascism, we will not leave the constitution and the law,” the meeting resolved.

It claimed that Amjad Khan Niazi, Umar Tanvir Butt and other activists, who voluntarily surrendered themselves to the law after a condemnable series of kidnappings for statements and forced divorces, were subjected to the worst physical torture in the dark of night and forcing them to leave the PTI or politics.

“The honourable judiciary should take notice of the extra-constitutional activities of the veiled state functionaries and stop the nefarious practice of changing political loyalties by force.