- PTI chairman rues delay in issuance of intra-party polls certificate despite fulfilling legal requirements
- ECP directs PTI to submit reply in writing to plea against intra-party elections till Feb 11
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan lamented over the delay in issuance of a certificate of intra-party elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) despite responding to all constitutional and legal questions.
Talking to media outside ECP, he said the PTI held the intra-party elections in accordance with the constitution and law, adding that a certificate of the intra-party elections was their constitutional and legal right, expressing hoping that the party would receive it in the next hearing.
He recalled that during the raid on the party office, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had seized various important documents.
Barrister Gohar emphasized that PTI is one of the largest political parties in the world and the largest political party in Pakistan.
The PTI chairman added that the procedure outlined in the constitution will be followed for appointment of chief election commissioner, adding that it will be completed once a parliamentary committee is formed.
He stated that everyone stood with PTI founder Imran Khan, who is the symbol of the party.
Earlier, the ECP conducted a hearing on the intra-party elections of the PTI.
The hearing, chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was attended by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar. The CEC informed the court that the case was pending since April 30, 2024, and PTI had not yet filed a written reply.
To this, Barrister Gohar said that PTI had replied to the notice and would present the response to the petitions on the next hearing. The ECP adjourned the hearing until February 11 while ordering PTI to file the reply by then.
During ECP hearing, Barrister Gohar declared that PTI is the only party that conducted intra-party election, claiming the party to be the sixth biggest political party of the world.
The PTI chief informed the court that out of the total five petitioners against PTI intra-party elections, the petitions were not contested and they would reply at the next hearing to the ECP.
He said the PTI’s symbol is Imran Khan, who has written a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly for the appointment of the new Chief Election Commissioner.
Meanwhile, Akbar S Babar, a founding member of PTI, also addressed a press conference, saying that PTI accounts should be frozen till the decision of the case. He said that PTI’s organizational setup has no legal status and currently it is ruled by the infiltrators who have no link with it.
Akbar S Babar further alleged that a coterie of vested interests has captured the PTI, and the judgment in the £190 million foreign funding case has brought many people into the limelight.
