ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has refrained from delivering a verdict on the plea filed by Akbar S Babar, a founding member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), challenging the legitimacy of the party\u2019s recent intra-party polls, which he deemed as \u201cfraudulent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the intra-party polls conducted by PTI, Babar, along with a group of party members, lodged a petition asserting that the elections were marred by irregularities, urging the country\u2019s top electoral authority to mandate a fresh round of polls.<\/p>\n
The election held on December 2 saw Barrister Gohar Khan assuming the role of the party\u2019s chairman, marking the first time Imran Khan was replaced as PTI chief. Despite this outcome, Babar contested the election results, rejecting their validity and subsequently approaching the electoral authority to address the alleged irregularities.<\/p>\n
Babar, a seasoned politician and one of the party\u2019s founding leaders, emphasised his continued affiliation with PTI, citing a prior high court decision that validated his membership. Seeking intervention from the ECP, he highlighted his status as a party member whose credentials were validated by the electoral body.<\/p>\n
A five-member commission, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, oversaw the hearing on the petition filed by 14 PTI members who expressed concerns about the intra-party polls.<\/p>\n
At the commencement of the hearing, Barrister Ali Zafar, representing PTI, presented arguments asserting that the ECP had mandated the polls within a 20-day timeframe. Zafar contended that the elected chairman holds office for five years, while the panel serves a three-year term.<\/p>\n