MUZAFFARABAD:While the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was scheduled to take up the registration case of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday, a little-known applicant surfaced on Monday seeking registration of a party with the same name, claiming it had been “founded by Akbar S. Babar”.

Registration of most political parties with the AJK Election Commission under Section 128 of the AJK Elections Act, 2020 had earlier stood cancelled on technical grounds — largely for allegedly failing to fulfill statutory requirements — following a judgement of the AJK High Court delivered in October 2023.

The court had clarified that while branches of Pakistani parties could be established in Azad Kashmir, only a state subject was eligible to apply for registration.

“No Pakistani political party can treat its branch as a ‘brand’ or ‘franchise’, as this runs counter to basic democratic norms,” the bench had held.

Section 128 lays down the procedure for the formation and registration of a political party through an application to the Election Commission, accompanied by the party’s constitution, published manifesto, consolidated statement of accounts, and a list of at least 1,000 members along with their signatures or thumb impressions and CNIC copies, as well as proof of deposit of the prescribed registration fee.

In the months that followed the court ruling, several parties — including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Muslim Conference and Jamaat-i-Islami — secured fresh registration after meeting the criteria laid down by the commission. However, PTI’s application, submitted by its regional secretary general Mir Attiqur Rehman, has yet to be decided.

On Friday, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retired) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal had told journalists that PTI’s case, along with that of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP), would be taken up on Wednesday (March 18).

However, on Monday, Sheraz Khan, son of Haji Akbar Khan and a resident of the Gojra locality of Muzaffarabad, submitted an application seeking registration of PTI as a political party to contest the upcoming elections in AJK. He claimed he had been authorised to file the application by the party’s “founder and leader”, Akbar S. Babar.

Mr Sheraz said the party adhered to the ideology of Pakistan and supported the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan, as required under relevant laws. He added that the application was accompanied by the party’s constitution, objectives, organisational structure, list of office-bearers, membership details and other required information.

The CEC forwarded the application, a copy of which is available with Dawn, to the commission’s secretary and assistant secretary in his own handwriting using green ink, without recording any remarks on it.

The development drew a sharp reaction from PTI’s regional leadership.

When contacted, PTI’s regional secretary general Mir Attiqur Rehman dismissed the application as an “extremely awkward script” making a mockery of the AJK Constitution, the law and the top electoral body.

He claimed that PTI had been registered with the AJK Election Commission before the 2016 general elections, which it contested from all constituencies of the state assembly. “In the 2021 polls, our party secured a two-thirds majority and got its president and prime minister elected,” he said, adding that the party had also clinched hundreds of seats in the 2022 local government elections.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026