PTI intra-party polls — all eyes now on ECP

ISLAMABAD: The PTI’s intra-party election dispute will now be settled at the Election Commission of Pakistan’s forum.

According to sources, the report of PTI’s inter-party election will now be submitted to the ECP.

In the decision announced on November 23, the commission had directed that intra-party elections be held within 20 days. It had also directed that the election report (Form 65) should be submitted to the ECP within 7 days after the election. It should be done in a transparent manner.

PTI sources say that after an amendment to the party’s constitution, instead of secret ballot, the method of show of hands has been adopted.

Under the second amendment, the Electoral College now belongs to the National Council instead of registered members, which elected the new members unopposed.

On the other hand, PTI’s founding member Akbar S Babar said he would submit his “fact-finding” report to the ECP in the next two to three days, in which it would be stated that the intra-party elections were not conducted in a transparent manner as per the decision of the ECP.

“All members of Electoral College i.e. National Council were not called which was a legal requirement. Secondly, workers who were willing to contest the election were not given the opportunity to participate in election as required by the party constitution. I will request that the party election be declared null and void,” he added.

Akbar S Babar will also present video evidence to support his stand. Thus, the PTI’s inter-party elections have become controversial from the very beginning.

The chief election commissioner of the party election will have to prove the legal and constitutional validity of the election to ECP. It will also have to prove that the Electoral College was complete and all the aspiring candidates were given an opportunity to contest the election.