PTI’s Azam Swati admonished during ECP hearing

ECP seeks all docs pertaining to PTI leader Yusuf Ali’s petition alleging fraudulent intra-party elections


Irfan Ghauri December 18, 2017
PTI provincial president Azam Swati. PHOTO: PPI

ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza admonished Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s Senator Azam Swati during an Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) hearing on Monday.

The hearing was regarding PTI leader Yusuf Ali’s petition alleging fraudulent intra-party elections.

The incident took place during Monday’s hearing of the case filed by Ali, who belongs to the party's founders group formed by dissident party leader Akbar S Babar to purge the party of corruption and corrupt practices.

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When Senator Swati asked the CEC, "What prompted you to ask for more documents?” the CEC responded saying that the electoral body has every right to ask any or all relevant documents concerning the case.

However, Swati sought more time for submission of the required documents as he maintained that the party is in the process of shifting its central secretariat. Upon this, the CEC said if the documents are available they should be submitted without delay.

The case has been adjourned until December 27, 2017.

The ECP had initially reserved judgment on the petition on November 13th, concluding that the verdict would be announced on November 28. On the day of the verdict the judgement was postponed till December 5 due to the absence of two members of the commission.

Later, due to the absence of one member of the commission the verdict was further postponed from December 5 to December 13.

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On December 13, instead of announcing its verdict, the ECP sought additional documents form the PTI such as the nomination papers and voting details by December 18 which were never submitted by the party during the hearing of the case.

The PTI, despite previous commitments made before the ECP, had failed to comply with its last directive to reply to Babar’s analysis of the PTI’s evidence submitted before the Supreme Court (SC) and the ECP.

The petition against foreign funding was first filed in November 2014 by the disgruntled PTI leader after developing differences with party chairman Imran Khan on alleged internal party corruption and financial wrongdoings in managing the PTI funds.

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