ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday dismissed Akbar S. Babar’s plea for a fresh round of PTI intra-party elections and adjourned the hearing till December 12.
A five-member ECP bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, considered a series of petitions submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founding member Akbar S. Babar, Tahir Nawaz, Noreen Farooq, and others.
These petitions challenged the recently conducted the PTI intra-party elections, the official news agency reported.
Read more: Barrister Ali Gohar Becomes New Chairman Of PTI
Election Commission Secretary Umar Hameed Khan, along with 14 petitioners and additional individuals, presented themselves before the commission.
The legal representatives of Akbar S. Babar, and Raja Tahir Nawaz Abbasi asserted that the PTI intra-party elections were not conducted in compliance with the rules and should be invalidated.
The bench, highlighting Election Act Section 215, dismissed Akbar S. Babar’s plea, stating the re-conduct of the PTI intra-party elections should be dropped.
Lawyer Ali Hassan, representing petitioner Akbar S. Babar, contended that the PTI election commission was established just two days before the elections, without the creation of a voter list, and the elections took place shortly thereafter.
Speaking to media persons outside the Election Commission of Pakistan, Akbar S. Babar asserted that a political manoeuver was executed under the guise of democracy.
The PTI intra-party elections were held last week with Barrister Gohar Ali Khan elected as the new party chairman.
Omar Ayub Khan was elected PTI’s central general secretary while Ali Amin Gandapur and Dr Yasmin Rashid were chosen as the party’s provincial presidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, respectively.
The development came in line with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s directives following which the party conducted its intra-party polls in Peshawar.
PTI supremo Imran Khan, the former prime minister, stepped down as the party’s chairman and nominated Gohar Khan for the post.
