Senate polls delay in KP to hit federation unity: PTI

ISLAMABAD: As the Election Commission of Pakistan Friday notified the winners of the recent Senate elections, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s core committee said the delay in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa polls was an attempt to blatantly disregard the Constitution, assault the unity of the federation and abuse the voting right.

The core committee meeting held here was briefed on the cases against founder chairman Imran Khan.

Terming the ‘slow pace’ of judicial proceedings against him very unfortunate, the forum strongly demanded Imran’s immediate completion and release.

The meeting strongly condemned postponement of Senate elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as what it called the tarnishing of democracy through incomplete houses and criminal assistance of the Election Commission to nullify the right to vote of the people.

The core committee also vehemently denounced the harassment of judges of the higher judiciary through dubious letters, calling for an exemplary action against those responsible for harassment of the judges.

The committee reiterated the demand for setting up a full court on the letter of six judges of the Islamabad High Court, live telecast of court proceedings and holding of judicial convention.

The meeting emphasised early disposal of election petitions from the Election Commission and tribunals set up by it.

It also asked the Election Commission to restore the PTI’s election symbol ‘bat’ and maintained that there was no legal justification for non-restoration of the election symbol after submitting all the details of intra-party elections.

The core committee supported a vigorous mass movement after Eidul Fitr through the Grand Alliance formed as a result of wider political collaboration.

It noted the first large public gathering under the Grand Alliance will be held on April 13 in Pishin district of Balochistan.

It strongly condemned arrest and remand of women prisoners, especially Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed and demanded immediate release of all leaders and workers, including founder chairman Imran Khan and his wife.

The core committee reiterated its commitment to continuing the movement under the leadership of the founding chairman till the constitution and rule of law, restoration of democracy, respect for the people’s mandate and real freedom.

Meanwhile, Imran Khan has strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and called upon the Muslim leadership to take an effective lead as the people of Gaza were counting on the Ummah to speak up and act.

In a message from Adiala Jail, Imran vowed, “I stand with Gaza and continue to strongly condemn Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza in which over 40,000 innocent Palestinians have been killed and many others are being deliberately starved to death”.

He regretted that despite people across the world demanding an immediate ceasefire, the powerful continue to remain unmoved as all humanitarian laws, laws of war, the UN Genocide Convention, the Geneva and Vienna Conventions continue to be violated with impunity by Israel.

It is high time world leaders not only called for an immediate and total ceasefire but also ensured its implementation, he urged.

Meanwhile, PTI on Friday formed a 14-member political committee to take all decisions and inform the core committee.

A late-night notification issued by the PTI Central Media Department says, “as per instructions received from founder chairman PM Imran Khan, following persons are appointed to the political committee. The political committee shall take all the decisions and inform the core committee”.

According to the notification, the political committee will consist of Omar Ayub (chair), Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Shibli Faraz, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur, ex-speaker NA Asad Qaiser, Sher Afzal Marwat, Khalid Khursheed, Aon Abbas, Hafiz Farhat, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Hammad Azhar, Raoof Hasan, Shah Farman and Atif Khan.