ECP to unveil objections on PTI internal polls

Gohar says ready for dialogue with everyone

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday issued directions to provide details of its objections to the PTI over its intra-party elections.

A five-member body headed by the chief election commissioner heard the matter of the PTI’s internal polls objections.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Election Commissioner Raoof Hasan appeared before the ECP.

ECP Political Finance Director General Masood Akhtar appeared before the commission and informed it that the Supreme Court had decided that PTI should conduct its internal polls on November 23 and December 22.

However, he added that there were objections over the PTI’s intra-party elections and it was necessary to clarify them. The PTI chairman told the commission that he would clarify all the objections.

Gohar added that the PTI had submitted the details of its intra-party elections on March 9 this year but it was not yet provided with the ECP’s objections over them.

The PTI chairman further said if the objections over the party’s internal elections were given to him, he would submit the answers.

After hearing the arguments, the ECP issued instructions to provide the PTI with the details of the objections and adjourned the hearing of the case.

Speaking to the media outside the ECP office, the PTI chairman said they tried to suppress the party in every way but the people continued to support it.

On the issue of en masse resignation from parliament, he said Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief Sahibzada Hamid Raza had asked the PTI to consider the option.

Gohar said as far as dialogue was concerned, it should be held with everyone.

“We have not engaged in a dialogue process with anyone yet. We will inform you if it happens.”

The PTI chairman claimed that there were 175 political parties in the country but none of them had conducted their internal elections according to the Constitution.

He added that the PTI had held its intra-party elections in line with the orders of the ECP and Supreme Court.

Gohar stressed the need for lowering the political temperature.

“We were subjected to the atrocities that were planned and now there should be justice.”

Separately, the PTI Core Committee expressed its reservations on the hearing of the SC larger bench on a letter penned by six Islamabad High Court judges, saying that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa instead of silently patronising the “interferers” should disclose the responses from all the high courts.
During its session, it accused the CJP of exhibiting anti-judiciary sentiments and criticised him for not addressing a case of significant constitutional and democratic importance on a daily basis.

The PTI Core Committee also denounced the ongoing cases against the party’s founding chairman Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, describing them as “baseless and fabricated”.