PHC restrains ECP from deciding on plea against PTI polls

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday restrained the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from deciding the application challenging the recently held antra-party election of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The PHC ordered the ECP to submit its supply at the next hearing on December 19. A bench consisting of Justice SM Atiq Shah and Justice Shakil Ahmad heard the writ petition.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Qazi Mohammad Anwar, Shah Faisal Uthmanzai, Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah, Nauman-ul-Haq Kakakhel and other lawyers appeared before the court.

During the course of hearing, Barrister Gohar Khan told the court that he had been elected unopposed as the PTI chairman during the intra-party election in Peshawar on December 2.

He said that Akbar S. Babar had approached the ECP against the intra-party election despite the fact that he was not a member of the PTI.

Barrister Gohar told the court that the intra-party election was held in accordance with the sections 208 and 209 of the Election Act 2017.

He said the PTI held the intra-party election after five years under the party’s constitution. Barrister Gohar took the plea that the ECP was not authorized to hear the case, arguing that the application was not maintainable. Barrister Gohar Khan accused the ECP of being impartial, citing the example of the foreign funding case of the PTI.

Justice Shakil Ahmad enquired whether the person, who had filed the application in the ECP was a member of the PTI. Gohar Khan replied that Akbar S. Babar was not a member of the PTI as his membership was cancelled 10 years back. He said the intra-party election of the PTI took place in the light of the ECP orders. The court ordered the ECP to submit its reply by December 19 and adjourned the hearing.

Later talking to reporters, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan alleged that the PTI was being deprived of its election symbol, adding the PHC had been against this move.

He claimed that the PTI represented 70 percent of the population of the country. He alleged the ECP was impartial and was giving verdicts against his party. He said the PTI would not boycott the next general election.