PTI seeks contempt of court proceedings against ECP

ISLAMABAD: Alleging that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has failed to abide by the Supreme Court's ruling on the issue of a level-playing field in the wake of the upcoming polls, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday moved the apex court seeking contempt of court proceedings against the top electoral body.

The petition contends that despite being written to by the Punjab ECP, the electoral body has failed to abide by the SC orders which had directed it to heed the PTI's concerns pertaining to the lack of a level-playing field for the polls scheduled to be held on February 8, 2024.

On December 22, the apex court — while hearing an application filed by the PTI under Article 184(3) of the Constitution over the issue of being subjected to unfair treatment and the absence of equal opportunities — had directed the ECP to meet the party representatives and address its concerns on the said issue.

The three-member bench, headed by interim Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah, also directed the attorney general to assist the ECP in meeting with the PTI lawyers.

During the hearing, Justice Minallah termed the PTI's allegations of denial of the level-playing field as “prima facie correct”.

The party, in its recent application, contends that the ECP secretary failed to abide by the apex court's December 22 verdict as PTI candidates continued to be harassed and arrested even after the top court's ruling.

Furthermore, the petition — which mentions the ECP and interior secretaries as parties to the case along with the Inspector General Police (IGPs) of all four provinces — also levels serious allegations against the Punjab IG, labelling him as the "mastermind" behind the crackdown against the PTI.

Seeking action against those responsible for violating the court's order, the party has prayed to the court to ensure that its candidates are allowed to hold rallies and political gatherings — as part of a level-playing field ahead of the polls.

The PTI is not the first party to complain of the lack of a level-playing field — a term used widely to lament the absence of equal opportunities for stakeholders — as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have also voiced concerns on the said issue on multiple occasions.