By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has filed a complaint with the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), accusing them of misconduct and violating their constitutional duties.
The complaint, jointly filed by PTI and its Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan, alleges that the ECP has become incapable of performing its constitutional obligations and has taken sides against PTI.
The complaint names CEC Sultan Sikandar Raja and ECP members Babar Hassan Bharwana, Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi, and retired Justice Ikramullah Khan.
“The constitutional obligation demands the ECP to act independently without taking sides in favor of or against any political party,” the complaint states. However, it alleges that the ECP has “blatantly disregarded any form of neutrality and even violated the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan.”
The complaint emphasizes that the ECP, under its constitutional obligation, cannot restrict or stop any political party from functioning and carrying out political activities, nor can it shut its eyes if any acts and violations are taking place due to which elections are not being conducted honestly, justly, fairly, and per the law.
The complaint alleges that the ECP, through different decisions, actions, and omissions, acted contrary to the constitution, their oath, and disobeyed the orders of the Supreme Court, and sabotaged the functioning of PTI as a political party.
“Thus, the CEC and members of the commission are liable to be removed for misconduct in the interest of justice.”
The complaint details several instances of alleged misconduct, including the de-seating of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from the National Assembly seat (Mianwali) at the behest of the Speaker National Assembly, who belonged to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.
It also alleges that the ECP executed a “grand scheme” to disqualify Khan and remove him as PTI chairman, thereby disabling him from participating in politics and damaging PTI as a political party.
The complaint further alleges that the ECP manipulated the prohibited funding case against PTI and ignored Supreme Court directions to investigate the finances of other political parties.
“Continuing with the alleged intention of harming and damaging PTI through illegal orders, the ECP decided that the reserved seats for women and minorities would not be given to PTI but allocated to other political parties proportionately.”
It also alleges that the ECP decided that no PTI candidate would be recognized as a PTI candidate and instead would be treated as “independents” who would be allocated different symbols. “The idea of the ECP was to create complete chaos and confusion amongst the public to defeat PTI in the election.”
The complaint seeks accountability for the unconstitutional actions of the ECP and demands that the CEC and members be replaced due to serious allegations of misconduct, including pre-poll, poll day, and post-poll riggings.
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