Tag: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)

  • Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case in August

    Imran Khan to be indicted in ECP contempt case in August

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the indictment of former Prime Minister Imran Khan till August 2 in a contempt case filed against him, Geo News has reported.

    The ECP had on Monday ordered that the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) be arrested and presented before the ECP in a case in which he allegedly used “”intemperate” language against the constitutional body and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

    A four-member bench, headed by Nisar Durrani, heard the case.

    One of the members of the bench said that the commission will frame the charge against the former PM on August 2, and the bench directed that Imran Khan should appear in person at the next hearing.

    Earlier last year, the ECP issued contempt notices in exercise of its powers of contempt, against PTI chief Imran Khan and party leaders for allegedly using “intemperate” language against the chief election commissioner and ECP. The electoral body asked them to appear in person or through their counsel before the commission to explain their position.

    During today’s hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shaheen Sohail, requested to adjourn the hearing until September.

    “We have only one month of vacation, and since you asked for a personal appearance, we have appeared”, Shaheen said.

    He further added, “Earlier, there were other lawyers on this case; now, I am the lawyer. This is my first appearance.”

  • ECP to notify Khan’s win on 7 NA seats

    ECP to notify Khan’s win on 7 NA seats

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday decided to confirm Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan’s victory in seven constituencies of the National Assembly (NA) in by-elections held on October 16, 2022.

    A three-member bench of the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, announced the verdict which had been reserved in December.

    The ECP had taken notice of the PTI chief’s failure to submit details of election expenses within the stipulated time.

    In its verdict announced today, the electoral body said that it ignored the delay in the submission of the details of the expenses and directed officials to notify Khan as the winning candidate, accepting the PTI plea.

    According to election laws, “Every returned candidate shall, within five days from the date of the election, submit return of election expenses in accordance with the provision of section 29.”

    “On receipt of the returns of the election under sub-section (3) of section 24, the Commission shall publish in the official Gazette the names of the returned candidates: Provided that the name of a candidate shall not be published who fails to submit the return of election expenses as required by sub-section (3) of section 24.”

    The by-polls were conducted on nine NA seats that fell vacant after the National Assembly speaker accepted the resignations of PTI MNAs, who had tendered resignations en masse as per party policy.

    According to the by-election results, Khan won the NA seats from Mardan, Charsadda and Peshawar in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Faisalabad and Nankana Sahib in Punjab and the Korangi district of Karachi in Sindh.

  • ECP decides to hold local govt polls in Karachi, Hyderabad on Jan 15

    ECP decides to hold local govt polls in Karachi, Hyderabad on Jan 15

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday has announced that local bidy government (LG) elections would take place on January 15, 2023, in Karachi and Hyderabad.

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja — who headed the five-member bench, announced the verdict that the commission had reserved on November 15.

    LG elections in the two divisions were originally scheduled for July 24, but have been put off thrice since then, primarily because of the Sindh government’s request that it didn’t have required police officials as they were busy with flood relief operations.

    The polls were first put off to August 28, then to October 23, and then indefinitely, before the Sindh government on November 10 said it had postponed the polls on its own for 90 days prompting criticism from the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

    Today’s development comes days after the Sindh High Court (SHC) had instructed the electoral watchdog to issue the schedule for local body elections in Karachi and Hyderabad within 15 days, adding that the polls should preferably be conducted within 60 days.

  • Punjab, KP CMs give Khan authority to dissolve assemblies: report

    Punjab, KP CMs give Khan authority to dissolve assemblies: report

    After the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s disqualification in the Toshakhana case, the Chief Ministers (CM) of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) authorised Khan to dissolve their respective assemblies, reports Geo News.

    According to the details of the news report, CM KP Mehmood Khan and Punjab CM Pervaiz Elahi attended a meeting through a video link and gave the former prime minister the authority to dissolve both provincial assemblies.

    A PTI leader told Geo News that dissolving provincial assemblies is more necessary than a long march as the purpose of the long march is new elections.

    “Therefore, if assemblies get dissolved, a new election will have to be called,” said the PTI leader.

    In a major legal victory for the ruling coalition on Friday, the ECP, in a consensus verdict in Toshakhana reference, disqualified former prime minister Imran Khan and ruled that the PTI chairman is no more a member of the National Assembly.

    Criminal proceedings will be initiated against the PTI chairman for misdeclaration, the verdict said.

    The ECP stated that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices under Article 63(1)(p).

  • Bushra Bibi has no jewellery: Khan provides asset details to ECP

    Bushra Bibi has no jewellery: Khan provides asset details to ECP

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday, August 15, declared his wife Bushra Bibi’s and all his assets in the nomination papers to contest the by-elections from Faisalabad constituency NA-108, reports Geo News.

    Providing details to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Khan revealed that his assets are more than Rs304.2 million.

    According to the news outlet, Khan declared two inherited houses and 228 kanals of land in the Bhakkar district. He also owns a flat and a commercial plot on Constitution Avenue in Islamabad from which he is receiving Rs1.4 million as rent. He has four bank accounts, but no investment in any company. He showed Rs11.22 million cash in hand. Khan has four goats worth Rs0.2 million.

    Declaring his wife Bushra Bibi’s assets, he revealed that she has 698 kanals of land in Pakpattan and Okara. As per the nomination papers, a three-kanal house in Bani Gala is in the name of his wife, and that she has no jewellery.

    Khan declared that he spent Rs48.66 million on the construction of the Zaman Park house, and spent Rs4.9 million on additional constructions in Bani Gala. In the nomination papers, Khan did not mention details of his children.

  • PM Shehbaz urges ECP to announce ruling on PTI foreign funding case

    PM Shehbaz urges ECP to announce ruling on PTI foreign funding case

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the “long-delayed judgment” in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) foreign funding case.

    The premier took to Twitter today, urging the ECP to give the verdict in PTI’s foreign funding case, which was reserved on June 21.

    “I urge the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce the long-delayed judgment on PTI foreign funding case,” said the PM.

    The prime minister said that for long, Imran Khan has been given a free pass despite his “repeated & shameless attacks on state institutions”.

    “Impunity given to him has hurt the country,” added PM Shehbaz.

    The ECP reserved the verdict in the case nearly a month ago on June 21, following a hearing by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.

    On Monday, PTI Chairman Imran Khan criticised the ECP for being biased and demanded CEC Sultan Raja’s resignation over his alleged favouring of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    “We have no confidence in this Chief Election Commissioner, he should resign. He conducted the Senate election, the Supreme Court allowed him to verify the Senate vote, the Election Commission and all political parties know that money runs in the secret Senate polls but this Election Commissioner did not follow it,” said Khan.

    “The biggest regret I have in the Punjab by-elections is on the Chief Election Commissioner as he has done dishonesty, there is no merit in him, it was found that typing mistake took place and four million people were shown dead. Had this happened elsewhere in the world, he would have resigned. We had eight cases with which we went to the Election Commission and it rejected them while the courts gave verdicts against it, which means the ECP deliberately gave decisions against us,” claimed Khan.

  • ECP barred: IHC suspends 30-day deadline order in PTI foreign funding case

    ECP barred: IHC suspends 30-day deadline order in PTI foreign funding case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended a single-bench’s order, directing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide foreign funding case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) within 30 days.

    The IHC two-member bench suspended the single-bench ruling in PTI foreign funding case till the next hearing on May 17.

    The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had challenged the Islamabad High Court’s single bench orders to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    According to ARY News, Asad Umar, the party’s secretary-general, filed the appeal against the order of a single-member bench which directed the ECP to conclude the proceedings in the foreign funding case within 30 days.

    Speaking to media after filing the intra-court appeal against the IHC decision, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar termed the ECP as biased and said that it does not look the incumbent commission could hold free and fair elections in the country.

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) recently also turned down two petitions of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against Akbar S Babar in foreign funding case.

    The IHC rejected a petition filed by the ruling political party to bar the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from handing over the records of the PTI foreign funding case to the petitioner Akbar S Babar.

    Another petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for separating Babar from the proceedings of the case was also rejected by the high court.

    It is pertinent to mention here that foreign funding is being heard by the election commission since November 2014.