ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has filed a reference in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and five members of the commission under Articles 209 (5) and (6) of the Constitution.
PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh, Justice (r) Noorul Haq Qureshi, and MPA Muhammad Shabbir complained, alleging that the CEC and officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had failed to perform their constitutional duties.
The CEC and members of the election watchdog had allegedly stolen the mandate of the PTI through rigging in the February 8 general elections and maliciously misrepresented the Supreme Court orders, the reference read.
The PTI in the complaint, filed through Barrister Ali Tahir, accused the CEC and ECP officials of involvement in pre-election, election day, and post-election rigging.
The complainants accuse the Chief Election Commissioner and members of misconduct, alleging that they politically appointed bureaucrats as Returning Officers (ROs) and District Returning Officers (DROs).
They claim that former Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Chattha revealed that 70,000 votes were fraudulently cast for PML-N in each constituency in Rawalpindi, implicating the Chief Election Commissioner and Chief Justice in the process.
The complaint further asserts that the Election Commission deprived PTI of its election symbol and its nominated members of their party affiliation, affecting over 120 million voters.
They submitted that the respondents have wrongfully declared candidates from the complainant’s party as independents in the elections violating the spirit of the Constitution and the Supreme Court’s orders, and undermining democracy in the country which they are bound to uphold.
Following the Supreme Court’s verdict on petitions related to reserved seats, the complainants sought immediate accountability of the respondents.
They submitted that the ECP had attempted to undermine the PTI mandate, but the top court’s ruling had exposed unconstitutional and illegal activities of the election commissioners accounting for gross misconduct.
They contended that according to Article 224 of the Constitution, general elections must take place within 60 days of an assembly completing its term, or within 90 days if an assembly is dissolved prematurely.
The complainants have requested an inquiry into the allegations and recommended the removal of the Chief Election Commissioner and members if the charges are proven.
