Another tough, intra-party election challenge for PTI

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s intra-party elections were challenged, PTI founding leader Akbar S. Babar filed a formal petition in the Election Commission. The petition has requested that the Election Commission order a fresh intra-party election and appoint an impartial third party to monitor the PTI intra-party election.

In the petition, the stand was taken that the PTI election was mere pretense, deception and a failed attempt to cheat the Election Commission, the fraudulent election process deprived the PTI members of their right to vote and participate in the election. Intra-party elections are a violation of section 208 and sub-section 2 of the Election Act 217.

Akbar Babar also submitted the video footage and other evidence to the Election Commission along with the application. Section 208 of the Election Act, 2017 has been cited in the three-page petition to the Chief Election Commissioner.

Akbar Babar has said in the application that on November 30, 2023, in the press release of the PTI Core Committee, it was announced to hold the intra-party election on December 2, in which Niazullah Niazi was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner, while at the federal level, someone from the commission was appointed. And the name of the official was not mentioned.

In the application, he said that the election rules and regulations, schedule, time and procedure of nomination papers, date of receipt and rejection of papers, hearing of appeals, nothing was told about elections till December 2. No information was available on the PTI website, on 1st December 2023 at 4:45 PM I went to the Central Secretariat along with a delegation of PTI members.

According to the petitioner, the PTI representative showed inability to provide the required information, this incident was seen on national TV channels, on the same day the news of unopposed election of PTI officials was broadcasted on electronic media.

Akbar Babar has also attached the news released on the PTI website with the request.

According to the petitioner, the Election Act requires that officials at all levels be elected for five years in accordance with the party constitution, according to the law every member of a political party shall be allowed to run for any office in an equal manner and according to the law All political parties will have an electoral college, the electoral college will consist of the general council of the party at the federal, provincial and local levels.

Akbar S. Babar has stated in his petition that according to the law the political party is bound to release the updated list of central office bearers and members of the executive committee, any change in it will be informed to the Election Commission. I am PTI member, Election Commission of Pakistan and Islamabad High Court have given decision.

The petitioner stated that he has given the best years of his life to PTI as a true democratic party and as an ideological member, there is no other option but to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan for justice. There are nurseries of future political leadership.

Akbar Babar stated that the Election Act 2017 and the electoral rules legal framework require that the leadership in the political parties should be elected through a democratic election process, the fake intra-party election process in the political parties should be abolished, all the major political parties should be given electoral rules. And the rules should be enforced, this is the only way to get out of the problems faced by the society and the country.

It should be noted that the Election Commission had ordered to hold the PTI intra-party election on 23 November 2023 in 20 days.