JUI-F intra-party polls case: No organisational structure after time to hold party polls ends, says ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday said the organisational structure of a party ceased to exist when the time to hold intra-party elections runs out.

These remarks came from a four-member bench of the commission during the hearing of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) intra-party election case here.

Fazlur Rehman was expected to appear before the bench, but he didn’t. The bench, headed by Member Sindh Nisar Durrani, heard the case. The party’s assistant counsel informed the commission that the intra-party elections were underway in the provinces, after which the exercise would be held at the federal level. He requested the forum to give some time to the party.

However, the Director General (DG) of Political Finance informed the commission that the period of intra-party election of JUI-F was completed on July 7. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa member remarked that the organizational structure of the party had ended after the time for intra-party elections passed.

After hearing the arguments, the Election Commission adjourned the hearing till September 18. According to the Elections Act, 2017, a political entity has to submit related documents to the commission after holding polls to qualify for allotment of symbols, if the exercise is found done as per the law.