Pakistan’s Election Commission to Resume Probe into PTI’s Intra-Party Elections on July 23rd

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to resume its investigation into the intra-party elections of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on July 23rd. This comes after two postponements since May.

Background

A five-member ECP panel led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja will adjudicate the case. This session marks the first hearing since PTI’s chief election commissioner, Raoof Hasan, submitted a comprehensive response to seven key objections raised by the ECP on March 3rd concerning the party’s internal election process.

History of PTI’s Intra-Party Elections

PTI’s intra-party elections, held almost four months ago, were the third such exercise in less than two years. The controversy began on June 9, 2022, when PTI conducted its intra-party polls, which were subsequently invalidated by the ECP in November 2023. In response, the ECP instructed PTI to conduct fresh elections within 20 days if it wished to retain its bat symbol for the upcoming general elections, which were then just two months away.

PTI promptly organised new intra-party elections on December 2, 2023. However, these were also annulled by the ECP just 20 days later, following an unprecedented detailed scrutiny of a political party’s internal mechanics. Consequently, PTI was barred from using its election symbol in the impending general polls, triggering significant political turmoil. This ruling was pivotal in the Supreme Court’s decision to deny PTI its election symbol, forcing PTI candidates to contest as independents.

Current Situation

Further complicating matters, PTI conducted yet another round of intra-party elections on March 3rd, prompting renewed objections from the ECP. The commission commenced hearings without initially disclosing the specifics of its objections, eventually sharing a questionnaire with PTI’s legal team seeking detailed information about the intra-party election process. PTI promptly responded comprehensively to these queries.