ECP takes up PTI’s party polls case tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will take up the case of intra-party elections of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tomorrow (October 2).

According to the cause list, uploaded on the Election Commission website, the ECP bench will hear the PTI’s intra-party elections case while the party had to submit certain documents, concerning the poll exercise, conducted in early March this year.

Notices have been issued to Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Raoof Hasan, who was the federal election commissioner in relation to the intra-party polls of PTI. During previous hearing last week, PTI’s Barrister Gohar Ali Khan sought time to submit more related documents and the Election Commission bench had given ten days to the party to do the needful.

The party leader had contended before the bench that their record had been taken away by FIA and therefore, they needed time to produce related documents before it in support of their electoral exercise. He had expressed hope the Election Commission will recognise their polls and issue them the related certificate.

Owing to the issue of intra-party elections, PTI remains headless as per the lists of political parties as per the Election Commission record of enlisted parties. Meanwhile, a day earlier, the Election Commission will also resume hearing on October 1 in the petition filed by three local MNAs of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), seeking change of election tribunal.

On the very first day of hearing last week on Tuesday, PTI lawyers had sought two weeks’ time to file reply to this rivals’ petition. However, they were given them time till next Tuesday (today) to file the reply.

A four-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, had heard the case related to the change of election tribunal during which lawyers of petitioners appeared before the bench.