ISLAMABAD: Following the release of a revised list of political parties by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which still lists Asfandyar Wali Khan as the Awami National Party (ANP) president, the ECP has now issued a notification for the party’s intra-party elections conducted after a year’s delay.
Despite the updated list showing Asfandyar Wali Khan as the party leader, the ECP’s latest notification recognizes Aimal Wali Khan as the ANP president, roughly three and a half months after the elections were held.
The delayed issuance of this certificate is another instance of the ECP’s failure to adhere to legal requirements. According to Section 209 (1) of the Elections Act, a political party must submit a certificate to the ECP within seven days of completing its intra-party elections. This certificate, signed by an authorized office-bearer, must confirm that the elections complied with the party’s constitution and relevant laws.
Sub-section 3 of Section 209 mandates that the ECP publish this certificate on its website within seven days of receipt.
On January 13, the ECP had permitted the ANP to use its election symbol, “Lantern,” in the polls despite not meeting the legal requirement of holding intra-party elections. This decision came just a day after the ECP delisted 13 parties for failing to meet similar requirements and imposed a Rs20,000 fine on the ANP, directing them to hold elections by May 10, well past the general elections held on February 8.
The ECP’s decision to allow the ANP to contest without holding intra-party elections, while other parties like PTI were not granted similar concessions, raised questions. The ECP had previously noted that the ANP’s last intra-party elections were conducted in May 2019, and with a four-year term for office-bearers, the term had expired over eight months ago.
The ECP had reserved its verdict on December 21, 2023, and announced it on the final day for symbol allocation to candidates. Sections 208, 209, and 210 of the Elections Act, 2017, were used to delist over a dozen parties for failing to meet legal requirements. A five-member ECP bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, had rejected the ANP’s request for an extension to conduct its intra-party elections, suggesting the party might not be able to use its symbol in the upcoming general elections.
