Despite being served a final notice by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over the failure to hold intra-party elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman did not appear before the commission on Friday. This has put the PTI at risk of losing its election symbol for future polls under Section 215(5) of the Elections Act, 2017.
The ECP had warned the PTI chief about the consequences of non-compliance with Section 209(1) of the Election Act, which mandates all registered political parties to provide the commission with certificates confirming the holding of intra-party polls. The PTI’s intra-party elections were initially scheduled for June 13, 2021, but were repeatedly delayed.
During the hearing, the PTI’s lawyer requested a postponement, citing difficulties in submitting election records due to changes in the intra-party polls law. However, the ECP responded that the party had been given sufficient time to respond to notices.
The matter is now adjourned until August 8, where further actions may be taken by the ECP if the PTI fails to comply.