Today, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is scheduled to consider a significant petition regarding the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from his position as the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Additionally, the ECP will address an application requesting that the election symbol not be allocated to the PTI in the upcoming elections.
As outlined in the cause list released on Monday, a five-member bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Raja Sikandar Sultan and featuring the ECP’s four provincial members, will preside over these critical petitions.
The petition seeking the removal of Imran Khan as the head of the PTI party has been filed by Khalid Mehmood Khan. This action follows the ECP’s previous disqualification of the PTI chief as a lawmaker for one term in November of the previous year. This disqualification stemmed from his failure to declare gifts acquired from the official gift repository during his tenure as Prime Minister in his statement of assets and liabilities.
In a parallel development, when a trial court convicted Imran Khan on August 5 in the same case, the ECP issued a notification declaring the former premier disqualified for a period of five years.
Another application set for hearing requests action against the PTI, alleging that the party continues to receive funds from foreign entities. This petition is also submitted by Khalid Mehmood Khan.
The application urging the ECP to declare the PTI party ineligible to receive an election symbol has been filed by Imran Khan’s former aide, Awan Chaudhry. This action is taken under Section 215(4) of the Election Act, 2017, in conjunction with the Election Rules, 2017.
Moreover, the same bench will also address a petition filed against former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who is alleged to have used derogatory language against the polls oversight authority.
