Arguments completed in PTI intra-party polls case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday raised a question on how Barrister Gohar Ali Khan became chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf after having joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, as the arguments were completed in the PTI intra-party polls case.

An ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, resumed hearing in the case, filed in March last year by one of PTI’s founding members and ex-information secretary Akbar S Babar and four other petitioners against the intra-party elections. During the hearing, ECP member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (retd) Ikramullah pointed out that Barrister Gohar had joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, then how did he become the PTI chairman?

To this, PTI lawyer Aziz Bhandari took the position that the commission neither has the authority to interfere in the internal affairs of the party, nor can the commission regulate the party for irregularities in intra-party elections. He emphasized that the Lahore High Court has restrained the election commission from deciding in the intra-party case, prompting the chief election commissioner to clarify that the electoral body will not pass a final order, concerning the case.

Last week, through an order, the election commission had directed the petitioner and the defence to complete their arguments on April 22.

The ECP director general Law said that any party is bound to hold intra-party elections; the PTI was bound to hold intra-party elections in 2021. He contended that it got the constitution approved by the general body in the absence of the National Council. Then, he asked if the party has a general body in the constitution. He said that in the absence of an administrative structure, the financial accounts are without any verification and check and balance.

The petitioner Akbar S Babar requested the forum that PTI funds be frozen and asked how were the party elections held without an administrative structure? He also maintained that making Salman Akram Raja the secretary general is unconstitutional.

The Election Commission member KP remarked that Barrister Gohar had joined the Sunni Ittehad Council, then how can he become the PTI chairman? To this, Gohar noted that the details of the intra-party elections are available on the party website. ECP Member Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani acknowledged the fact that the party polls were held but these were against the law.

The PTI lawyer said elections were held on the orders of the Election Commission, but these were not recognized by the commission. He added the Constitution of Pakistan says that the general elections should be held within 90 days and asked if they were held accordingly. He continued that if intra-party elections are not held, does the political party end and that if this decision has already been made, what could they do? He insisted that the election commission has no authority to regulate a political party or interfere in party matters due to irregularities in intra-party elections.

The ECP adjourned the hearing after the lawyers completed their arguments.

Meanwhile, Akbar S. Babar, while talking to media outside the ECP office, made serious allegations of financial and administrative irregularities within the party. He alleged that money laundering is going on in the PTI and emphasized that there is an urgent need to protect party funds. He was of the firm view that until the political party fulfills legal requirements for intra-party elections, its accounts and assets should be frozen. He contended that it is being said that the PTI is in the hands of donkeys; in fact it is in the hands of vultures which are eating it up.

Babar noted that the election commission has also admitted that the current office-bearers of the PTI are self-appointed, and intra-party elections were held under an illegal general body, which is a clear violation of the party constitution and legal requirements. However, he clarified that they do not want a ban on the PTI, but if this trend continues, the party may be delisted, and the election commission will have no choice but to do so. He made it clear that this problem is not only with the PTI but other parties in the country are also following the same path where political leaders are being elected unopposed. “Until internal democracy is promoted, the country’s democracy will also remain weak. We make an appeal again to the election commission to immediately freeze the illegally-used accounts of the party so that it can be saved from further financial losses,” he remarked.