ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf presented its 24-point Charter of Demands (CoD) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The CoD requests that the watchdog guarantee free, fair, and transparent general elections and grant the party equal playing fields so that it can freely conduct its campaign in the lead-up to the polls on February 8.
The legal team of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), consisting of Barrister Ali Zafar, Gohar Ali Khan, and Dr. Babar Awan, presented a Charter of Demands (CoD) to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, during a 45-minute meeting.
During the meeting, the PTI delegation expressed their concerns regarding the upcoming elections and highlighted the “obstacles” faced during their election campaign. PTI spokesperson Barrister Gohar Ali urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to release the long-pending written decision on PTI’s petitions filed on October 18 and 30 concerning the party’s electoral symbol, the ‘bat,’ to eliminate prevailing uncertainty.
He called on the ECP to promptly allocate the electoral symbol “bat” to PTI, ensuring a level playing field. Gohar Ali shared that the CEC has assured them that the “bat” was PTI’s electoral symbol and would appear on the ballot paper in the upcoming elections, hoping that the ECP would resolve the issue within the next two days.
The PTI’s Charter of Demands also included the release and recovery of “kidnapped” and arrested PTI workers and leaders. Barrister Ali noted that PTI was facing difficulties in holding public gatherings, rallies, and corner meetings on private premises, as their requests for public meetings were either delayed or denied. Additionally, PTI was not allowed to print its flags and banners, further hindering its election campaign.
Obstacles to PTI Campaign
The spokesperson emphasized that there were significant obstacles to their election campaign, and they have requested the ECP to issue a notification to ensure a “fair and just” electoral process.
In addition, the PTI drew the ECP’s attention to the release of substantial funds by the caretaker government, which they considered to be beyond the government’s constitutional mandate and authority.
The spokesperson also highlighted the appointment of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates as chairpersons of the Power Distribution Companies, which was seen as pre-poll rigging, and called on the commission to address this issue promptly.
Gohar Ali stated unequivocally that Imran Khan would remain the chairman of PTI, even if he were incarcerated, and elections without his participation were out of the question. He emphasized that it was the ECP’s constitutional responsibility to maintain a level playing field for all political parties.
The CEC assured the PTI that the ECP would take all necessary steps to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections in the country.
The PTI has also established a five-member political engagement committee to ensure transparency and a level playing field during the elections. The committee includes Senator Barrister Ali Zafar, Senator Dr. Humayun Mohmand, Ali Mohammad Khan, Ali Asghar Khan, and PTI Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan.
