ISLAMABAD, Sep 18 (NNI): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday gave PTI the time to submit its documents in the intra-party elections case.
A three-member bench of the ECP, headed by Member Sindh Nisar Durrani, heard the case.
During the hearing, the bench asked the election commission officials what would be the future of the PTI if it did not accept its intra-party polls.
DG Political Finance informed that in that case, the party would cease to have an organizational structure. Member Balochistan, on the occasion, asked PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan whether the party’s polls were held at Chamkani, Peshawar.
The latter replied that voting was also held in Islamabad.
Barrister Gohar requested the bench to give a week to 10-day time to the party so that it could submit its documents to it.
He said that the ECP had already penalized the PTI for not holding the elections.
Member KP asked DG Political Finance what were the powers that the election commission could wield if the party was again found not to have held its elections?
The DG replied that in that case action could be taken under section 208 of the Election Act. He went on to say that secondly there should have been a gap of five years between the first and second elections.
The bench then adjourned the case’s hearing until October 2.
Later, talking to the media, Barrister Gohar said that the PTI’s intra-party elections were the most transparent.
“We hope that the ECP will not allow this case to drag on further,” the PTI chairman said, adding, “Now even the Supreme Court (SC) had made things clear. This is not appropriate that the election commission single out only one party and leave others.”
Also on Wednesday, the ECP reserved its verdict on giving the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) the time to submit its documents in the intra-party elections case.
The chief election commissioner (CEC), on the occasion, said if it was found out that the party did not hold the elections, then it may be deprived of its electoral symbol. NNI
