The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded on Sunday that the government should immediately and transparently appoint an honest, unbiased and neutral chief election commissioner (CEC) in consultation with PTI to revitalise the electoral watchdog and ensure continuity of democratic processes.
The PTI's demand has come as the tenure of incumbent CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja is set to expire on January 26 but he can continue to perform his duties until a new appointment is made under the 26th Amendment of the Constitution.
"The outgoing CEC's dark era left an indelible mark on the country's electoral landscape," PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said.
He stressed that it was incumbent upon the government to ensure timely and consensus-based appointments of CEC and two other provincial heads of the electoral body "to shield the institution from further destruction".
The PTI information secretary said that the outgoing CEC's tenure had severely damaged the reputation of the ECP, thus allowing him to continue in the position would be a gross injustice, not only to the institution but also to the nation.
PTI has had a rocky relationship with the ECP under Raja's leadership, marked by legal challenges and public disputes. Tensions peaked during the 2024 general elections, where PTI alleged widespread rigging and vote tampering after the ECP-led litigation stripped the party of its iconic election symbol the cricket bat.
The party has repeatedly accused Raja of delaying election results and tampering with vote counts, allegations that the ECP has consistently denied. PTI has also called for Raja's resignation, claiming that his actions have eroded confidence in the ECP's ability to conduct fair elections.
Under Raja's tenure, several key electoral issues remained unresolved, including the postponement of Senate elections for 11 seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the allocation of reserved seats due to a standoff between the Supreme Court and Parliament, and delays in local government elections in Punjab and Islamabad.
In his statement, Waqas further lamented that Raja's "controversial tenure" has had far-reaching and detrimental consequences for Pakistan's democratic processes.
He added that "the government should appoint impartial and competent individual through a transparent and consultative process," as mandated by the Constitution to restore the ECP's credibility and integrity.
PTI's latest call for a new CEC has come on the heels of the letters written by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz to the NA speaker and the Senate chairman, respectively, for the immediate appointment of a new CEC.
Waqas urged that the government should constitute a parliamentary committee without any delay to oversee the appointments, as stipulated in Article 213 of the Constitution. He noted that the appointment of an impartial and credible person as a new CEC would be the first step towards healing the wounds inflicted on Pakistan's democracy and rebuilding the nation's trust in ECP. The PTI spokesperson warned that the inordinate delay in the crucial appointment could trigger a constitutional crisis and further erode public trust in the democratic system. He said the Supreme Court also exposed the ECP's biases and partiality in the detailed judgment of MNA Adil Bazai's disqualification case.
Waqas stressed that PTI would not accept Sikandar in the position for even a day because he severely damaged the ECP's credibility during his controversial tenure.
PPP's false image of resistance
Meanwhile, he slammed the PPP for its "duplicity and hypocritic role", saying the party always attempted to deceive the public by claiming to make substantial changes to anti-public or anti-democracy laws. In reality, he added, the party only made cosmetic tweaks, as a trade-off.
He accused the party of falsely projecting an image of resistance while secretly facilitating "tailor-made laws" for political mileage. He argued that the PPP's claims of reform were merely cosmetic, as the party had always worked behind the scenes to protect anti-democratic laws for its own gain.
He said PTI would continue to fight for constitutional supremacy, rule of law and true independence regardless of the obstacles and challenges they faced.
No internal division
Additionally, Waqas dismissed the reports of internal divisions within the PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, saying that the party remained a cohesive and unified force under the leadership of Imran Khan.
He stressed that the PTI founder was the sole binding force that held the party together.
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