The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a warning to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stating that they could lose eligibility to obtain an election symbol due to their failure to hold intra-party elections.
The notice, released on Wednesday, summons PTI Chairman Imran Khan to appear before the commission on August 4 at 10 am. The ECP cited Section 215 (5) of the Elections Act, 2017, which grants them the authority to declare a political party ineligible for future elections if they fail to comply with the rules.
According to the ECP, PTI’s intra-party elections were due on June 13, 2021, as per the party’s constitution. Despite earlier notices and reminders, the party did not conduct the elections within the provided timeframe, nor did they provide the required certificate regarding the elections’ conduction.
The ECP had issued a final notice in May of the previous year, setting an extended date of June 13, 2022, for the intra-party elections, with a clear indication that no further extensions would be allowed. However, PTI submitted an amended version of its constitution, which the electoral body found insufficient.
Referring to Section 209(1) of the Election Act, the ECP said that every registered political party must provide them with a certificate confirming the conduction of intra-party elections as required by law. “Failure to comply with this provision empowers the Commission to declare the political party ineligible to obtain an election symbol,” it added.
In preparation for the upcoming general polls scheduled for later this year, the ECP had instructed all political parties, including PTI, to submit their applications for the allotment of election symbols.
It further informed that all the political parties were required to attach a list of symbols they prioritized along with their applications, and the signature of the party leader was mandatory. Additionally, the parties were asked to include the address of their head office in the application. The ECP stated that they would assess the eligibility of the parties after receiving the applications.
In the 2018 general elections, PTI was allocated the ‘bat’ symbol to contest. However, their failure to hold intra-party elections as required by law has now put their eligibility for obtaining an election symbol for future elections at risk. The PTI Chairman, Imran Khan, has been summoned to appear before the ECP on August 4 to address this matter.
