CEC rejects Imran’s demand to dismiss four ECP members

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan on Wednesday turned down the demand of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for the dismissal of four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
On the other hand, Imran Khan also turned down a suggestion by Sardar Raza Khan to postpone his planned protest and vowed to hold a historic rally here to exert pressure on the four Election Commission members to resign.
It is pertinent to point out that in his media talk in Lahore on August 29, Imran had announced to stage a historic sit-in before the Election Commission for the resignation of its members. The CEC had called on Imran to review his decision of launching a protest against the Election Commission members.
Talking to media persons here after having a meeting with the chief election commissioner at the Election Commission Secretariat, Imran reiterated there was no justification for the commission members to remain a part of the electoral body any more after the recent decisions by election tribunals.
The CEC and PTI chairman discussed a host of polls-related issues, including the Inquiry Commission’s report on the 2013 general elections and the demand for resignation of the Election Commission members. Imran said he met the chief election commissioner, as he did not feel satisfied by the reply given to his letter by the Election Commission.
It was learnt that apparently the meeting was agreed upon Wednesday morning and the PTI media centre and not the Election Commission alerted the media about the proposed rendezvous a few hours before the two met.
About his discussion with the CEC, the PTI chief said he proposed that the upcoming by-elections in NA-122 and NA-154 should be held under the military personnel, as he had no faith in the Punjab Police, which is under the PML-N. He alleged that development funds were being misused to influence the electoral exercise. He asserted he would not leave the field open and run away. Imran recalled how his rivals had flown to Jeddah instead of standing their ground.
The PTI chief expressed satisfaction over the measures being taken by the Election Commission to conduct transparent polls in future, adding that he was assured that the mass irregularities, which took place in the May 2013 general elections, would not be repeated.
“They have already started working on removing loopholes from the system which I had mentioned in my letter to the ECP chief. Those irregularities resulted in the largely-unfair and rigged polls of 2013,” Imran claimed.
“We want an army man inside and another outside the polling stations to ensure fair and free polls and we have set such a precedent in the KP,” claimed Imran.
The PTI chief said he requested the chief election commissioner to grant an extension to the election tribunal judges till the pending cases were decided. He also claimed to have urged the CEC to take notice of the threats issued to the election tribunal Judge Kazim Malik after he ordered de-seating of the PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq on declaring his election null and void in the NA-122 constituency, Lahore.
Imran said the chief election commissioner had called on him to review the decision of agitation against the Election Commission members.
The PTI chief urged the chief election commissioner to let the election tribunals continue till they decide all the pending petitions. He alleged the election tribunal judges were being removed because of the pressure being exerted by the ruling PML-N.