In a significant move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared a fresh intra-party election scheduled for March 3, following a string of legal battles and symbol controversies. This decision, announced by the party founded by Imran Khan, comes in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling upholding the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to nullify the party’s previous intra-party polls held in December 2023.
The SC ruling cited administrative irregularities and PTI’s failure to adhere to its own constitution, the Election Act 2017, and Election Rules 2017. Consequently, PTI lost its emblematic ‘bat’ symbol, forcing its members to contest the recent general elections on February 8 as independents after the Peshawar High Court briefly restored the symbol only to be overturned by the SC.
Earlier attempts to conduct intra-party polls were postponed, but now PTI has issued a fresh election schedule. Prospective candidates can submit nomination papers on February 23 and 24, with scrutiny scheduled for February 25. Final decisions on nominations will be announced on February 27, leading up to polling on March 3 at the party’s central office and provincial secretariats.
This development follows PTI’s alliance with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) in hopes of securing its portion of the 70 National Assembly reserved seats for women and minorities. Sources suggest over 80 PTI-backed independent candidates have joined the SIC, aiming to leverage this alliance for parliamentary representation.
However, legal expert Advocate Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar points out potential hurdles. He explains that under the Constitution and Election laws, reserved seats are allocated to parties with a presence in the assembly through their own election symbols. Yet, in PTI’s current state of not having a parliamentary party, independent returned candidates may not have the legal pathway to join PTI for the reserved seats.
Nevertheless, Khokhar notes that PTI’s partnership with the SIC might pave a way for the SIC to claim a share of the reserved seats despite PTI’s legal complexities. As PTI navigates these legal and political challenges, the upcoming intra-party election on March 3 holds crucial importance for the party’s internal structure and future strategies.
