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Despite losing ‘bat’ symbol, PTI still among ‘enlisted political parties’ of ECP

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  • PTI among “enlisted political parties” on ECP website.
  • Registration gets cancelled with withdrawal of symbol: Dilshad.
  • PTI barred from contesting in election as political party: former AGP.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) lost its election symbol but continues to be recognised as a political party by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In its official website, the ECP in the list of its “enlisted political parties”, shows the PTI at serial number 99. The ECP website was visited on Monday evening. Does it mean that the PTI candidates, who after losing the party’s election symbol are contesting elections as independent candidates, after winning the polls would have the option of officially joining or representing PTI in the National and provincial assemblies?

Former attorney general and senior lawyer Anwar Mansoor when approached said that the PTI has been barred from contesting in the election as a political party but it has not been deregistered and is still being recognised as a political party by the ECP.

Mansoor said that although after having been deprived of its election symbol, the PTI candidates can only contest as independent candidates, after the elections those elected as independents have the option of joining PTI. The former attorney general added that the PTI as a political party can be represented in the next Parliament by those opting to join it after winning the elections as independent candidates.

Former secretary ECP Kanwar Dilshad, when approached, was surprised to find the PTI still on the ECP’s list of “Enlisted Political Parties”. He said that in his view the political party that loses its election symbol, also loses its official status as a political party. “The political party’s registration with the ECP gets cancelled with the withdrawal of the election symbol,” he said, adding that those who are elected as independent candidates cannot join the PTI.

For Dilshad the PTI lost its entity as an officially recognised political party by the ECP but Mansoor insists that there are some other legal provisions which talk about dissolution or deregistration of political party on the basis of a formal reference. ECP spokesman was approached but neither did he attend The News call nor did respond to a Whatsapp message.

Section 215 of the Election Act 2017, which was invoked by the ECP to withdraw PTI’s election symbol, envisages that if the political party fails to comply with the provision of section 209 or section 210, the Commission may after affording it or then an opportunity of being heard, declare it or then ineligible to obtain an election symbol for election to Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), Provincial Assembly or a local government, and the Commission shall not allocate an election symbol to such political party or combination of political parties in subsequent elections.

The said section does not talk about the dissolution or de-registration of the political party but only refers to withdrawal of election symbol for “subsequent elections”. The law and constitution are silent on whether or not independent candidates, belonging to a political party that has lost its election symbol, in case of winning the elections can join such a party in Parliament after having been notified as successful candidates by the ECP.

The Constitution, however, in case of reserved seats allows the independent returned candidates to join within three days of publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates such political parties which have already secured any number of general seats in the elections.

Article 51 (6)(d) in term of seats reserved for women reads as: “(d) members to the seats reserved for women which are allocated to a Province under clause (3) shall be elected in accordance with law through proportional representation system of political parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats secured by each political party from the Province concerned in the National Assembly: Provided that for the purpose of this paragraph the total number of general seats won by a political party shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such a political party within three days of the publication in the official gazette of the names of the returned candidates.” 

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Sheikh Rasheed says PTI and government negotiations won’t provide any results.

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Sheikh Rasheed voiced his worries about the nation’s ongoing political dilemma while speaking outside the Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Sheikh Rasheed, a committee was established to negotiate, but the process has not produced any tangible results. In order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, he said, “Political conditions are extremely bad.”

He made the joke, “Even after war, if negotiations fail, then it will all come down to judo karate,” in reference to the next steps.

“Everyone there prays for Pakistan’s betterment,” Sheikh Rasheed, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, said. He emphasized the necessity for the nation’s circumstances to improve and stabilize.

Assad Qaiser, a former speaker and PTI leader, had earlier called on Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the National Assembly to discuss the official start of talks with the government.

The two leaders shared their opinions on bringing parties together on matters of national importance and reducing political tensions and conflict.

“I will persuade my people, you persuade the hardliners in your party,” Ayaz Sadiq said to Assad Qaiser.

The party’s founder is in jail, and the PTI leadership has asked to meet with him. “We will continue to confer with him,” Assad Qaiser declared.

Earlier, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai stated that if the discussions don’t begin, a campaign of civil disobedience will begin on December 14.

Speaking to the media Regarding the meetings, Yousafzai claimed that the government ministers were making insincere remarks.

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Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

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The Supreme Court has granted the appeal of the PTI founder for a judicial probe into the events of May 9.

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The Supreme Court has officially accepted the plea submitted by the PTI chairman for a judicial probe into the events of May 9 for a comprehensive hearing.

The constitutional bench of the Supreme Court annulled the registrar’s office’s objections to the petition and instructed the office to allocate a case number and arrange the hearing.

The PTI chairman was represented by prominent attorney Hamid Khan, who appeared in court to argue for the petition’s admission.

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) already convicted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in connection with the incidents on May 9 and denied his bail on eight distinct counts.

The court’s finding was delivered in a six-page written order by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul.

The written ruling emphasized substantial evidence against the PTI founder, comprising audio and visual recordings of his directives to incite violence.

The court observed that witnesses had provided testimony on the conspiracy planned by Imran Khan at Zaman Park, where he purportedly strategized for his possible arrest by intending to disrupt state functions via his supporters.

Imran Khan’s legal counsel contended that he was in custody at the time of the incidents, proposing that bail be granted in accordance with precedents where bail was awarded in like circumstances following detention.

Nevertheless, the court rejected this argument, underscoring that the case’s nature was not a trifling issue of conspiracy or incitement.

The prosecution established that Mr. Khan had explicitly incited assaults on military and governmental facilities and had galvanized both his commanders and supporters to adhere to his directives.

The decision additionally cited the Lahore High Court’s finding regarding a prior release granted to Ijaz Chaudhry, highlighting Imran Khan’s involvement in the conspiracy. The court dismissed the defense’s challenge over the prosecution’s lack of specificity concerning the date, time, or location of the purported conspiracy, affirming that the scheme was allegedly devised on May 7 and May 9 at Zaman Park.

The prosecution asserts that undercover police officers, masquerading as PTI supporters, intercepted discussions outlining the scheme.

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