ISLAMABAD: The PTI intra-party polls, which were re-held recently after the previous ones were struck down by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), have been challenged once again.

To avoid misuse or unauthorised use of PTI bank accounts, PTI ‘founding member’ Akbar S. Babar has asked the ECP to issue directions to all banks concerned in the country to freeze all PTI accounts until such time as it complies with the orders of the ECP and holds fresh intra-party polls in accordance with law and duly elected/authorised representatives of PTI take office.

In a complaint sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, Akbar S. Babar — the party’s perennial foe — has asked that the intra-party election of March 3, be declared null and void and the party’s ‘defunct’ leadership be restrained from making more attempts to hold such unlawful elections until the matter is resolved under the supervision of the ECP.

Mr Babar, who also brought the prohibited funding case against the PTI, has asked the ECP to initiate contempt proceedings against the PTI leadership for issuing the February 2 press release in complete disregard of the orders of the ECP, the Islamabad High Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan validating his membership of PTI.

Party’s perennial foe wants all members who joined SIC to be barred from operating party accounts, using offices

In addition, the plea asks that all PTI members who have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), by their own declaration, should no longer be considered members of PTI as they cannot represent it at any forum, or use its resources.

He claimed that all those PTI members and office-bearers of PTI, elected to the national and provincial assemblies as ‘Independents’, who have submitted signed and sworn affidavits before the ECP of joining the SIC have consequently lost their basic membership of PTI under Election Act, 2017, Section 203, subsection (3).

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2024