Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed a petition on Tuesday with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), challenging the legitimacy of the party’s intra-party elections. Babar labeled these elections as ‘sham’ and ‘deceitful’, alleging they were fraudulent attempts to mislead the ECP and violated Section 208 and sub-clause 2 of the Election Act 2017. He accused the PTI of depriving its members of their voting rights and fair participation in the elections.
Babar provided the ECP with video evidence and other materials, citing Section 208 of the Election Act, 2017, to support his claims. He requested the ECP to mandate new intra-party elections and appoint an impartial third party to oversee them, also urging that PTI be barred from using its ‘bat’ symbol until transparent elections are conducted.
The application detailed that a PTI core committee press release on November 30 announced the intra-party chairmanship elections scheduled for December 2. Niaziullah Nazi was named the chief election commissioner for these elections, though the federal-level appointee’s name remained undisclosed. Subsequently, the party held elections on December 2, where Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was elected unopposed as the new PTI chairman, replacing the former premier. This move followed ECP’s directive to conduct intra-party polls within 20 days to retain the ‘bat’ symbol.
Babar’s petition expressed concern over the lack of transparency, stating that details about the election rules, schedule, procedures, and related information were neither disclosed nor available on PTI’s website. He recounted his visit to the party’s central secretariat on December 1 with other party members, where they failed to obtain relevant information, and noted that this incident was broadcasted on national television.
The petition highlighted that, according to the Election Act, party members are entitled to a five-year term and have the right to contest any position within the party, with political parties required to maintain an electoral college at both provincial and federal levels. Babar argued that PTI did not update its list of central office bearers and executive committee members, as mandated by law.
Asserting his ongoing membership in PTI, Babar voiced his disappointment, emphasizing his commitment and years of service to the party. Seeking justice from the ECP, he underscored the legal necessity for political party leadership to be democratically elected, calling for the abolition of ‘fake’ intra-party elections. Babar appealed to the ECP to establish intra-party electoral rules for all major Pakistani political parties, deeming it essential for addressing societal and national challenges.
