Peshawar Court bars ECP from giving verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's intra-party polls

Islamabad [Pakistan], December 12 : Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday barred the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from giving a verdict on intra-party polls of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan-based ARY News reported.

According to details, a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court - Justice SM Ateeq Shah and Justice Shakeel Shah heard PTI's plea against the Pakistan Election Commission's notice on the PTI's intra-party polls.

In its verdict, the court asked the ECP to not issue a final order on the PTI's intra-party elections and adjourned the hearing until December 19, according to ARY News report.

Earlier, the ECP issued notice to PTI in response to the party's founding member Akbar S Babar's appeal challenging intra-party elections of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Notably, PTI's founding member Akbar S Babar had called the intra-party elections drama. In a video statement, Babar stressed that PTI had placed the party and its election symbol of 'bat' on stake, ARY News reported.

He called for the creation of an intra-party election commission, setting aside the polls. While addressing a press conference, Akbar S Babar called the PTI's election a fraud and emphasised that he had reservations about the intra-party polls.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was elected unopposed as PTI's new chairman, replacing incarcenated former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, ARY News reported.

The intra-party elections of the PTI were held on Saturday after the orders of Election Commission of Pakistan. Voters took part in the elections by voting through an online app.

PTI election commissioner Niazullah Niazi, Pakistan's former federal minister Omar Ayub Khan had been elected secretary general of PTI. Furthermore, Yasmin Rashid has been elected PTI Punjab president.

Meanwhile, several leaders of Pakistan mainstream parties, including the PML-N and PPP, also questioned the legitimacy of the intra-party elections. Babar had even penned a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, Dawn reported.

He had said that after the commission directed the party to hold the polls, the PTI core committee issued a press release saying that preparations were complete and announced Niazullah Niazi as the PTI CEC, according to Dawn report.

Babar's lawyer, Syed Ahmed Hasan, highlighted that the ECP had ordered intra-party polls in accordance with the party's constitution. However, he pointed out the absence of a voter list and a nomination mechanism, stating, "The party's constitution makes no mention of an election programme."

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