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Updated 23 Dec, 2023 01:35pm

PTI postpones decision to approach court against ECP’s decision

The PTI has postponed its decision to approach the Peshawar High Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan as it has not received a certified copy of the decision on intra-party elections from the polls overseer, sources said on Saturday.

The party feared that their petition could be rejected for not having the copy, they added.

Sources said that the party’s bigwigs – Hamid Khan, Zafar Ali, and Gohar Khan – were discussing when and where they have to file a petition. It is expected that they would consult the party founder Imran Khan.

On Friday, Barrister Gohar Khan, who was elected unopposed as PTI chairman in now void intra-party elections, announced his decision to challenge the verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Peshawar High Court.

He had told Aaj News that the party would approach the PHC to set aside the ECP’s decision for which the party has already prepared a petition. “We will approach the court as soon as the party gets the ECP’s order,” he added.

Soon after the announcement of the verdict, the PTI alleged that the polls overseer’s verdict on its intra-party polls and electoral symbol bat was ‘part of the famous London Plan’.**

“Ladla Sharif cannot compete on ground , he knows he stands no chance to win when the voters are Pakkstanis. This yet another part of the famous London Plan, a disgusting and shameful attempt to stop PTI from election,” a post from the party account on X said.

The ECP declared that PTI’s intra-party elections were null and void on Friday. The commission said that the party would not be given the bat symbol in the upcoming general election as it had failed to organise the election as per its constitution, Election Rules, and the Election Act.

The case was heard by a five-member bench of the ECP led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja.

The PTI’s December 2 intra-party election saw Barrister Gohar elected unopposed chairman of PTI after he was nominated by party founder Imran Khan.

The party kept the venue of its polling secret for hours. However, it was later revealed that the polling was to be held in Peshawar’s Ranogarhi where reportedly 500 electors participated in the election process.

Soon after the results were announced, several including founding member of the party Akbar S Babar rejected the elections and called for fresh elections.

As many as 13 petitions were filed including a petition by Babar against the PTI’s intra-party elections.

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