On Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) contested the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to withhold the release of the list of reserved seats for women, taking the matter to the Lahore High Court (LHC).
In the filed petition, PTI’s lawyer, Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi, argued that the Peshawar High Court had already suspended the ECP’s decision regarding the annulment of the intra-party election. The application urged the LHC to instruct the ECP to disclose the list of reserved seats for women.
Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi sought an expedited hearing for the application, requesting the provincial apex court to consider the matter on the same day, Friday.
Election Watchdog Pursues Unpaid Fines From Political Leaders, Imran Khan Tops List With Rs200,000 Debt
Meanwhile, the office of the Provincial Election Commissioner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has directed returning officers in various districts to ensure the collection of outstanding fines from political leaders, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who reportedly owes Rs200,000 to the electoral authority. This request was made during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the February 8 elections.
According to a letter dated December 28 from the provincial election commissioner, it has been revealed that a total of 62 political figures from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab have unpaid fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000, depending on the severity of the violations committed.
Imran Khan allegedly incurred fines for four separate violations, each resulting in a Rs50,000 penalty, which he has yet to pay. These violations occurred in March 2022, just a month before his removal through a parliamentary vote.
The largest outstanding amount in the Election Commission of Pakistan’s list is attributed to Imran Khan, totaling Rs200,000. Following him are the former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, with a fine of Rs150,000 for three violations, and former federal minister Murad Saeed with Rs100,000 for two violations.
