Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), filed two separate petitions with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday, challenging the party's recent intra-party polls.
On January 13, the Supreme Court (SC) affirmed the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) December 22 decision declaring the PTI's intra-party polls unlawful, resulting in the party losing its 'bat' electoral symbol.
In an 11-page ruling on Babar's plea, a five-member ECP bench chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja pronounced the PTI's intra-party elections invalid.
In his latest petition, Babar sought that the ECP nullify the PTI's recent intra-party elections.
It is worth noting here that the PTI conducted new intra-party elections on March 3.
Raoof Hasan, the PTI's federal election commissioner, stated last Sunday that Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Omar Ayub Khan were chosen unopposed as the party's chairman and secretary general, respectively, in the intra-party elections.
Babar told journalists that he had filed a complaint with the ECP about the PTI's "fresh fraud" and that he had been barred from participating in intra-party elections.
The petitioner referred to the PTI intra-party elections as a "drama" and questioned why the same candidates were elected unopposed each time.
"The party membership of those lawmakers who have joined the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) should be revoked," he suggested.
Referring to the Supreme Court's ruling, Babar stated that he was a member of the former ruling party and claimed that the party's high brass "did not want the leadership to fall into the hands of workers."
"The party's leadership does not have the prerogative to strike a deal with any other political party."
Responding to a query, the petitioner urged that the "illegal" usage of PTI funds be halted.
"They should be stopped until the new intra-party elections are held as per the [party's] constitution."