F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday rejected the petition of former member of PTI Akbar S. Babar to re-conduct intra-party elections.
A five-member commission under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard 14 petitions filed against the PTI intra-party elections held on Dec 2.
Petitioner Babar’s lawyer Ali Hassan argued that the PTI formed election commission two days before the polls while no voter’s list was issued.
Commission member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa asked the lawyer about Article 5 of PTI constitution. He replied that it means to conduct the elections in a closed room. The member snubbed the lawyer and said “this is a serious matter and you are joking.”
Babar also requested the commission to order suspension of the newly elected members of the PTI.
Advocate Hassan said when his client went to the party secretariat, he was refused nomination papers. Moreover, no scrutiny was done on the nomination papers and no final list of candidates was issued, he added.
Commission member Karamullah said that Section 215 of the Election Act is clear and the the plea for re-election was rejected.
It may be recalled that Akbar S. Babar is one of the founding members of the PTI.
Petitioner Raja Tahir Nawaz Abbasi’s lawyer argued that under the constitution every person should get a chance to contest the intra-party elections.
He claimed that intra-party elections were held at a secret place in Peshawar. Some of the contestants were in jail despite that they submitted nomination papers and elected party officials.
He termed the election process fake and requested that the election should be declared null and void.
Later, the commission issued notice to PTI and adjourned hearing till December 12.
