By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the former ruling party that lost its electoral symbol of a bat after a Supreme Court verdict, announced on Thursday that it would hold fresh intra-party elections on February 5, just days before a crucial general election.
The party’s Election Commissioner, Rauf Hassan, released the official schedule of the polls, which are aimed at proving to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that the party is democratic and transparent.
“The PTI Federal Election Commission is pleased to announce the Election Schedule for the Intra-party Elections (IPE) of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to elect the Chairman, Central and Provincial Organisations,” the party statement said.
The announcement comes after the party faced a series of legal setbacks that jeopardized its chances of competing in the general elections scheduled for February 8.
In December, the ECP invalidated the PTI’s intra-party polls, which were held earlier that month, after 14 members challenged the process and claimed they were denied the opportunity to contest.
The PTI appealed the ECP’s decision in the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which ruled in its favor and restored its bat symbol. However, the ECP challenged the PHC’s order in the Supreme Court.
The three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI had violated its own constitution and election laws by holding flawed internal elections, and upheld the decision of the ECP to revoke the party’s symbol.
The PTI candidates, after the top court verdict, are running as independents with different symbols in the upcoming election.
Analysts say the court order could hurt the PTI’s chances of retaining its support base and mobilizing its voters in a country where literacy is less than 30 percent and voters recognize parties through their election symbols.
The PTI has been using the bat symbol since its inception in 1996 and has built a loyal following among the urban youth and middle class. The party, led by former cricket star Imran Khan, came to power in 2018 on a platform of anti-corruption and reform, but voted out in 2022.
According to the PTI’s statement, all members registered till January 31 will be eligible to vote for their preferred panel or chairman candidate at designated locations across the country. They can also cast their vote through the ‘Raabta Application Intra Party Election Module’, a mobile app developed by the party.
The details of the panels and the election procedure will be available on the party’s website and app, along with the Election Rules, 2020.
The nomination papers for the candidates can be obtained from the party’s central secretariat or website from February 1 to 2, and submitted at the central and provincial secretariats or via email by February 2, 10 p.m.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on February 3, and any objections will be entertained till 10 p.m. the same day. The final list of the panels will be published on the party’s website at 4 p.m. on February 4. The polling will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 5, and the results will be announced on February 6.
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