-Not holding intra-party elections
DM Monitoring
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday served a show-cause notice on Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also the chairman of the PTI, for not holding intra-party elections within the stipulated time.
The ECP notice sought reasons from the PTI chief for not holding intra-party polls due on June 13, 2021.
Under the Elections Act, 2017, all political parties are required to hold intra-party elections on time.
The ECP requires political parties to conduct intra-party elections before every five years, and the parties can hold the polls in three or four years as enshrined in their respective constitutions.
“In terms of Section 215 (4) of the Elections Act, 2017, you are required to show cause as to why your party may not be declared ineligible to obtain an election symbol for upcoming Election (s),” the ECP notice to the premier reads.
The ECP also sought a response from the prime minister within 14 days, warning that the election commission “shall take further action under the law” if the notice was not responded to. The election commission said a political party was required to submit a certificate signed by an office-bearer of the party, assuring that the polls were held in accordance with the constitution of the political party and the Elections Act.
However, the PTI failed to provide the certificate with regard to the conduct of intra-party elections due on June 13, 2021 as required under legal requirements, said the ECP. It also highlighted that a political party enlisted under the Elections Act shall be eligible to obtain an election symbol for contesting elections for parliament, provincial assemblies or local government after the submission of the certificate of intra-party elections.
According to 2017 electoral reforms, a sigh of relief to political parties was given as a sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms reached a consensus that political parties would be bound to hold intra-party elections within a period of six years, providing two-year relaxation. “All the political parties demanded that there should be six years time period instead of four years for holding intra-party elections,” the then Law Minister Zahid Hamid, who chaired the sub-committee meeting at the Parliament House, told reporters.
