PTI to hold intra-party polls as ECP order: Sources

Islamabad: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided to organize intra-party polls as per the directives of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the sources said on Monday.

The decision to proceed with intra-party elections received approval from the PTI's core committee.

Last Thursday, the ECP directed the PTI to hold intra-party polls within a 20-day timeframe. The decision had been reserved on September 13, following a response from a PTI lawyer after issuance of a show-cause notice.

A four-member bench, headed by Nisar Durrani, presided over the case.

The ECP had issued a notice to the PTI on August 2, questioning why it should not be disqualified for failing to conduct the polls.

PTI lawyer Barrister Gohar argued that the intra-party elections were conducted before the amendment to the party constitution, and later, the party withdrew these amendments.

In May of the previous year, the ECP had issued a show-cause notice to the PTI chief for the non-compliance of intra-party elections. The deadline had been extended, allowing the PTI to hold the elections by June 13, 2022.

However, the party failed to meet this deadline, despite an extension. The initially scheduled date for intra-party elections was June 13, 2021.