PTI to protest outside ECP offices across country from Tuesday: Fawad

Following the refusal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja from stepping down from his post, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced to stage protests outside the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan across the country from Tuesday.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the political committee presided over by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. Talking to the media after the meeting, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that the CEC had crossed all limits of prejudice and dishonesty.

Fawad announced that PTI would hold protests outside the offices of ECP across the country from April 26 "due to the behaviour of the CEC".

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He further said that instructions have been issued to all district organisations of the party in this regard.

Earlier, Raja, who was appointed in January 2020 by a joint parliamentary panel, said that he had no plans to step down and would continue to work as the head of the election watchdog. He made these comments while talking to a local media outlet last night.

"I am working in the best interest of the country and shall continue to do so," he added.

Raja’s statement had come on the heels of remarks by former prime minister Imran Khan, wherein he sought the resignation of the CEC for being "biased" towards his party.

Imran had reportedly said the PTI would file a reference against Raja for the ECP’s failure to conduct early elections because delimitations of constituencies were not conducted on time.

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The ex-premier had also alleged a conspiracy behind the foreign funding case – filed in 2014 by a founding member of the PTI Akbar S Babar – that nears conclusion after the Islamabad High Court ordered the ECP to conduct daily hearings.

This is not the first time the PTI has railed against the incumbent CEC. Fawad had also urged the ECP members to defy the commissioner in a press conference in November last year.

He had accused Raja of acting as the mouthpiece of his rival parties. Fawad had later apologised for his remarks.