ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has dismissed fresh applications filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging the commission’s authority in its ongoing case regarding PTI’s intra-party elections.
PTI had submitted four applications questioning the ECP’s jurisdiction over its internal elections. The party also sought directives for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to return documents seized during a raid on its secretariat. Additionally, PTI requested a postponement of the intra-party election case until the Supreme Court issued a detailed judgment in the reserved seats case and provided guidelines to the ECP on implementing the verdict.
The ECP, in a 10-page order authored by its Sindh member, Nisar Ahmed Durrani, rejected all four applications, affirming that it holds the authority to regulate intra-party elections. The order cited Section 208 (1) of the Elections Act 2017, which mandates that all political parties registered with the ECP must regularly elect their office-bearers at federal, provincial, and local levels in line with their constitutions.
The ECP questioned who would ensure that intra-party elections are conducted in accordance with a party’s constitution, and whether the certificate under Section 209(3) of the Elections Act could be issued without verifying the facts.
“We believe the ECP is obligated to verify that the requirements of Section 208 of the Elections Act, 2017 have been met by the party before issuing the certificate under Section 209(3),” the order stated.
The order also noted that complaints had been filed by PTI members regarding the party’s internal elections held on March 3, 2024, citing various issues such as the lack of nomination forms and voter lists, rejection of nomination papers, and the restriction of ideological and founding members from contesting the elections.
The ECP asserted its authority under Sections 208, 209, 202(2), and 215 of the Elections Act of 2017 to investigate whether the intra-party elections were conducted according to law and the party’s constitution.
The order dismissed the PTI’s request for the FIA to return seized files, computers, and hard drives, advising the party to approach the competent court if it wished to pursue the matter.
The ECP also rejected PTI’s request to stay proceedings on the intra-party election case until the Supreme Court’s detailed judgment on the reserved seats case, stating that further delay would not be appropriate.
The case is now set for arguments on September 18.
