ISLAMABAD: The Election Commis­sion of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday gave more time to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to submit documents related to the intra-party polls case against it and adjourned hearing till Feb 11.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan appeared before a three-member bench of the commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The petitioners who challenged the party polls, including Akbar S. Babar, were also present. The chief election commissioner reminded Barrister Gohar that this case has been going on since April 30, 2024, and his party has not yet submitted a written response.

He also emphasised that the party has to submit a response to five applications. The party chairman explained to the bench that they have responded to the notice and will submit the written response to the petitioners’ requests at the next hearing. The Election Commission directed the PTI to submit a response by the next hearing and adjourned the hearing till Feb 11.

Barrister Gohar assures ECP his party will submit written response on Feb 11

Talking to reporters after the hearing, Barrister Gohar said that that PTI was the only party awaiting a certificate of intra-party polls after conduct of the exercise long ago. He said the PTI will respond to the Election Commission at the next hearing.

Referring to the new head of the Election Commission, he said that Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub has written a letter to the National Assembly speaker for the appointment of the chief election commissioner, whereas Shibli Faraz has written a letter to the Senate chairman for the formation of a parliamentary committee.

Founding member and former information secretary of the party Akbar S. Babar told media that he had suggested the ECP to get PTI accounts frozen until the pending case is decided.

He insisted that the party’s organisational structure has no legal status and that PTI is currently ruled by infiltrators and aliens, adding that the £190 million case has opened the PTI’s fortress.

Under what law, he contended, these intruders were using the party’s accounts and resources and that there are reports that an amount of Rs1 billion has distributed among lawyers.

Mr Babar accused PTI of delaying the intra-party polls case by not submitting related documents despite passage of nearly a year, as they had prolonged the foreign funding case to eight years, using delaying tactics.

Published in Dawn, January 22th, 2025