ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) intra-party case for hearing on February 11 (next Tuesday).
The ECP has issued notice to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and party leader Raoof Hassan in this regard as well. The ECP has also issued the hearing notice to Akbar S Babar and other petitioners.
In the previous hearing, PTI had sought time to submit its replies to ECP’s inquiries.
PREVIOUS HEARING
In the ECP’s hearing on January 21, Barrister Gohar had reiterated that the intra-party elections were conducted as per the constitution and law. Speaking to media, the PTI Chairman alleged that the ECP had not given the certificate to the party despite submission of responses. He had also said, “Until the new Chief Election Commissioner comes, we will continue this work constitutionally”.
During the hearing, however, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said to PTI Chairman that the party had still not submitted written responses despite the case being in progress since April 30, 2024. Barrister Gohar had then replied that the party will submit the response to the petitions at the next hearing.
The ECP adjourned the hearing until February 11, after instructing PTI to submit its response by then.
AKBAR S BABAR’S COMMENTS
After the hearing, the founder of PTI, Akbar S Babar had also spoken to media, saying, “PTI’s accounts should be frozen until the case is decided.”
He said that PTI’s organisational structure has no legal status. “PTI is currently ruled by infiltrators and infiltrators have no connection with PTI,” he said, adding that a group of vested interests has taken over PTI.
“These people have spent eight years in the foreign funding case by making excuses,” he said, adding that the verdict in the £190 million case has exposed a lot of people in PTI. “Over a billion rupees were distributed among lawyers for PTI cases,” Akbar S. Babar had alleged.