PPP leader Sharmila Faruqui on Tuesday said that the election 2024 would lose credibility if the PTI or any other party was not allowed to contest in them.
“We want all political parties to participate in the elections. We also want the disqualification of PTI founder Imran Khan challenged in the court so there is competition in the elections,” she told Shaukat Piracha during her appearance on Faisala Aap Ka.
According to Faruqui, the political environment did not give any impression that the country was nearing general elections.
“Other than PPP, no party has organised rallies, conventions or political campaign. We want PTI to actively participate in the elections,” she added.
In an apparent jibe at former ally PML-N, Faruqui said that they were expecting the Nawaz Sharif-led party to hold a gathering at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi after his party made a coalition with the MQM-P.
Legal expert Abid Zuberi has said that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s verdict on PTI intra-party election will be applied in the subsequent election under the Election Act as the electoral watchdog gave the verdict after the announcement of the election schedule.
“The verdict will apply in the next election and not in the upcoming election for which the ECP has already issued the schedule. It is a legal point and it is up to the court if it accepts it or not,” he added.
According to Zuberi, the ECP’s decision against letting the PTI retain the bat as its election symbol which could hurt the party as people cast votes for the symbol.
“The ECP stripped PTI of its election symbol after the election schedule was announced. Other than PPP, we have not seen any party losing its election symbol on the basis of intra-party elections,” he added.
On approval of Nawaz Sharif’s nomination papers with objections, Zuberi said that anyone qualified to contest the election should be allowed to file papers.
“I also think that political leaders should not be disqualified for life. Period of punishment is fixed in every law, it should also be done in legislation regarding disqualification,” he added.
PML-N Senator Nehal Hashmi has said that Article 63 of the Constitution will prevail regarding the disqualification.
“It is a common practice around the world to disqualify politicians for a term. There is no precedent of disqualifying anybody for life,” he said while responding to a question regarding Nawaz Sharif filing nomination papers for the upcoming elections.
On the court’s decision regarding PTI election symbol, he said that it did not matter to the PML-N if the Imran Khan-led party retained its symbol.
“It is a matter between the ECP and PTI. We have nothing to do with it,” Hashmi added.
