ECP again reserves verdict on PTI polls

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday again reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intra-party elections after conducting proceedings on 40 questions.

After the two sides had concluded arguments before a five-member bench of the ECP with regard to the intra-party elections, the commission had given a questionnaire to PTI lawyers. The PTI will qualify for the election symbol bat if it is issued a certificate from the commission on its intra-party polls.

Barrister Ali Zafar and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan appeared before the bench. Ali Zafar argued that there were 40 questions in the questionnaire and they were in three categories. He expressed his disappointment over the 40 questions and said he did not know about these 40 questions till Monday.

Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said the commission considered it appropriate to get answers of these 40 questions before taking a decision. “These questions have been fixed in the hearing to take the case to its logical conclusion as we want the case to end soon,” he remarked.

The PTI lawyer said he was happy that the commission was worried about them. “We were asked why the chairman signed Form 65. The law says that the party chief will have to sign Form 65, which has also been signed by Shehbaz Sharif of PMLN and Asfandyar Wali Khan of ANP.”

“Why are we being discriminated against? Tell me whether the authorized person has to sign or the head of party? It is not the case that you will withhold the election symbol. The commission had ordered us to hold elections again, we have conducted elections,” he said, adding that in the second question, the question of not advertising the schedule and voter lists before the election was asked. “We did not stop anyone from contesting the intra-party elections, the commission is not a directly affected party in this case.”

Ali Zafar said the third question was why the National Council was not formed and why the federal election commissioner was not appointed? It is such a question whether the chicken came first or the egg. Until the elections are held, it is not possible to form the National Council. It was objected that the name of the chairman is not mentioned in the election schedule.

ECP member Justice (retd) Ikramullah said that according to the law, the elections were to be held in two parts. The election schedule for the chairman has not been given separately.

The lawyer replied if there was no voting, there was no question of election in two parts. The next elections would be held in two parts, according to the law. The duration of some posts was three years and some five years. Barrister Ali Zafar said this was discrimination against the PTI, the question of selecting the party chief should be from all political parties. The chief election commissioner replied that “we have asked the rest of political parties, there is no time to give the details yet.”

The PTI lawyer wondered: “Why were all political parties not asked how their office-bearers were elected unopposed?” The commission member said this had been done by the political parties. He said if the rest of the political parties had been asked to be elected unopposed, why were they issued certificates? Justice Ikramullah said that those who were issued certificates must have satisfied the ECP.

Talking to reporters, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that “we answered every question by the commission. We told the commission that we completed the process according to the law and Constitution. I tell the commission that you put the certificate on the website. This is the question of general elections. We hope to get the decision according to the Constitution and law. The commission will not disappoint us and we will get our symbol.”

He further said: “But even if we don’t get it, we have prepared a plan B and we will also share it with the people.”

Ali Zafar sounded optimistic that the way they presented their arguments, they would get the election symbol. “We are positive but our plan B and plan C are also ready,” he said.