ECP locked horns with PTI throughout year

Even though commission is only supposed to conduct elections, but legal affairs kept it in limelight

ISLAMABAD:

 

There is hardly a year when the Election Commission of Pakistan is not embroiled in some kind of controversy and as per precedent, the year 2022 was no exception.

In fact during the year, the electoral watchdog underwent some tough times with all eyes set on its decisions that caused major ripples across the political landscape.

It was a rollercoaster ride for the commission in the year 2022.

The ECP announced its milestone verdict in the eight-year-old prohibited funding case against the PTI.

It also disqualified PTI chairman and deposed premier Imran Khan — preventing him from being an a member of the National Assembly — in the Toshakhana reference.

During the year, the commission and PTI kept locking horns.

Even though the ECP is only supposed to conduct elections, but legal affairs kept it in the limelight throughout the year.

The commission faced stiff resistance and pressure throughout the year.

The ECP de-seated 25 PTI defecting MPAs in Punjab on May 20.

Later, by-elections for 20 of these seats were held and the PTI managed to grab back its government in the province by securing 15 of them.

The commission also rejected a PTI plea to disqualify the party’s defecting MNAs.

On August 3, the ECP declared that the PTI had indeed received prohibited funding, issuing a show-cause notice to the party -- the hearings on which were still under way.

The commission disqualified the PTI chief from his Mianwali seat in the Toshakhana reference and forwarded his case to a sessions court on the charges of “corrupt practices”.

A bench of the ECP declared Imran’s NA seat vacant as it unanimously decided that he had misled officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as the prime minister.

Also read: ECP moves to strip Imran of PTI chairmanship

The written ruling read that PTI chief had “intentionally and deliberately” violated the provisions contained in sections 137, 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017 as he submitted a “false statement” and “incorrect declaration” to the ECP in the details of his assets and liabilities filed by him for the year 2020-21.

It added that the PTI chief had attracted disqualification under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution read with Sections 137 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017.

The ECP has also initiated contempt proceedings against Imran as well as his party leaders Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry for constantly issuing statements against the electoral body and its chief election commissioner (CEC).

Imran accused the ECP of being biased towards his party, even though his party managed to win most of the seats in the by-elections.

Apart from conducting the delimitation of constituencies for the next general elections and verifying voters lists, the commission also held the first phase of the local government polls in Sindh and Balochistan.

Overall, the ECP conducted by-elections in 36 constituencies of the country, in which the PTI bagged 27 seats, followed by the PML-N with five, PPP with two, and one each by the MQM-P and an independent candidate.

The commission also filed its vacant seats from two provinces.