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Saturday January 25, 2025

PTI to protest at ECP offices on 26th

There is a degree of urgency and concern in the PTI ranks, after the IHC directed the electoral body to decide PTI foreign funding case within 30 days

By Mumtaz Alvi
April 25, 2022
PTI to protest at ECP offices on 26th

ISLAMABAD: Just three days before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) resumes hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding case on April 27, the PTI announced demonstrations outside the commission’s district offices across the country on April 26 “against biased attitude of the chief election commissioner (CEC)”.

There is a degree of urgency and concern in the PTI ranks, after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) recently directed the electoral body to decide the longest-ever – PTI foreign funding – case pending before it within 30 days. Party Chairman Imran Khan, during his first news conference on Saturday, asked CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja to resign, as his party did not have trust in him.

The PTI political committee, which again met here on Sunday, reviewed the Election Commission-related matters and noted with concern that the CEC had exhibited extreme bias and mala fide intention.

PTI Senior Vice President Chaudhry Fawad Hussain announced the decision of holding demonstrations against the chief election commissioner’s conduct in a tweet. He said the committee also noted that under a plot, the declaration to end the membership of PTI dissident members was also not issued; therefore, demonstrations would be staged outside the ECP district offices throughout the country on April 26.

“In this connection, instructions are being issued to the party’s district-level chapters,” he said. Last week, PTI had also announced filing a reference against the CEC over his alleged incompetence.

However, on the contrary to the developments, it was learnt the chief election commissioner was absolutely unfazed and was focused on discharge of duties. "Particularly, after the preparations for the delimitation of constituencies kicked off, we witness him being more enthusiastically engaged in the related activities,” sources in the ECP told this correspondent.

They pointed out that obviously the CEC had taken the developments outside the Election Commission seriously. He left for Lahore on Saturday and would be back to business as usual on Monday.

Meanwhile, CEC Sikander Sultan Raja said he had no intention of tendering his resignation and would continue to work in the best interest of the country. Speaking to a private TV channel, he said there was no valid reason to think like that. "I am working in the best interest of the country and shall continue to do so," he added. Separately, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) alleged that Imran Khan was targeting the CEC through a fake narrative ahead of the ECP verdict in the PTI foreign funding case.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said former prime minister Imran Khan was all set to target the CEC through a fake narrative ahead of the ECP verdict in the foreign funding case. She said in order to make the ECP and CEC controversial, the PTI chairman had stated that he was going to file a reference against the CEC on the issue of delayed delimitation of constituencies.