Pakistan: Imran Khan’s Party Takes Action Against ECP Investigation

Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has initiated legal proceedings against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The party challenged the ECP’s inquiry into its intra-party elections by filing a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC), ARY News reported.

Petition Details and Allegations

The petition was filed on Monday by PTI Chairman Barrister Ghar Ali Khan through lawyer Azhar Bhandari. It questions the ECP’s handling of the party’s elections and accuses the commission of bias. The petition also addresses the issue of non-return of seized goods from a raid on the PTI office. PTI seeks to have the ECP’s actions declared null and void, according to ARY News.

ECP’s Recent Decision

On September 6, the ECP dismissed all four miscellaneous applications submitted by PTI regarding the intra-party election case. A 10-page decision, authored by Sindh member Nisar Durrani, rejected PTI’s objections to the ECP’s jurisdiction and its request to delay the proceedings.

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The ECP advised PTI to seek the return of documents taken during the raid through the court. The commission emphasized its role in reviewing legal requirements under Section 208 of the Election Act 2017 and examining facts before issuing certificates under Section 209(3), as reported by ARY News.

Supreme Court’s Inquiry

Earlier, on June 30, the Pakistan Supreme Court questioned the ECP’s decision to exclude PTI from the general elections, affecting its claim to reserved seats. Justice Athar Minallah directed the ECP to demonstrate that it provided a fair playing field to all political parties, including PTI, before, during, and after the February 8 general elections, Dawn reported. This directive came during a full-court bench session addressing the Sunni Ittehad Council’s appeal against the denial of reserved seats for women and minorities.

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