A formal complaint has been submitted to the Supreme Judicial Council against the Chief Election Commissioner and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Filed by Haleem Adil Shaikh, Noorul Haq Qureshi, and Shabbir Ahmed, the complaint accuses ECP officials of neglecting their constitutional duties and undermining the mandate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and court rulings.
The complaint alleges misconduct, claiming that the CEC and ECP members manipulated electoral outcomes to favor the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) by allegedly adding 70,000 votes per constituency in Rawalpindi. This alleged interference raised doubts about the legitimacy of election results.
Furthermore, the complaint criticizes the ECP for appointing politically biased bureaucrats as returning officers and district returning officers, which purportedly skewed the electoral process. It also accuses the ECP of unfairly revoking the PTI’s electoral symbol and denying its nominated members party representation, impacting millions of voters.
The complainants have urged the Supreme Judicial Council to conduct a thorough investigation into these allegations. They have requested that if the charges are substantiated, the removal of the chief election commissioner and implicated members should be recommended.
In response to ongoing criticisms, the Election Commission of Pakistan affirmed its commitment to implementing the Supreme Court’s verdict on the PTI reserved seats case. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja chaired a meeting of ECP members to discuss compliance with the court’s directives. The ECP stated its intention to seek guidance from the Supreme Court on any issues that may impede the execution of its orders.
The ECP strongly condemned the persistent attacks on its integrity by a political party and dismissed calls for resignations as baseless. It emphasized its adherence to the Constitution and laws, maintaining that its decisions regarding PTI’s intra-party elections were upheld by various judicial forums.
