PTI challenges appointment of election officials

Party questions validity of ECP’s move to appoint DROs, ROs from bureaucracy

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to appoint officials from Punjab’s bureaucracy for election duty.

PTI Additional Secretary General Umair Khan Niazi on Wednesday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) through Barrister Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi, questioning the validity of the ECP’s move to appoint District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (ROs) from Punjab’s bureaucracy for the upcoming general elections.

PTI has made several high-profile officials as a party, including the President of Pakistan, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and the Election Commission, in its petition while alleging a potential bias in the selection process, prompting concerns about the impartiality of the upcoming electoral proceedings.

Read PTI challenges appointment of election officials in LHC

The party contended that the ECP should engage in a consultation process with the Lahore High Court’s Chief Justice for the appointment of judicial officers as DROs and ROs under sections 50 and 51 of the Elections Act 2017.

Moreover, the court was urged to prevent the ECP from appointing officers from executive authorities during the plea’s pendency, emphasising the need for a fair and unbiased electoral process.

Niazi articulated the PTI’s concerns regarding the general elections being held beyond the constitutionally mandated period. Despite the hope for democracy’s survival, there is widespread scepticism and restrained jubilation among the populace.

Read more ECP lists pleas against PTI polls for hearing tomorrow

The elections are poised to take place amidst what Niazi describes as the worst crackdown in Pakistan’s history on civil liberties and constitutional protections.

The PTI representative argued that the party has been subjected to a deliberate scheme by caretaker governments, both federal and provincial, to suppress its democratic and nationalist spirit. Citing instances in Punjab, where Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi allegedly influenced the bureaucracy against PTI, Niazi painted a picture of bias and attempts to eliminate the party from the political landscape.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2023.