The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday deferred hearing of pleas against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's intra-party elections till December 14. A five-member bench of the commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja conducted hearing of the case. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan appeared before the commission. Akbar S Babar and other petitioners were also present in the ECP court. Earlier on Monday, a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court had stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan from announcing the final verdict on the Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf’s intra-party election.

The division bench, comprising Justice Syed Muhammad Atique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed, sought a report from the ECP before ad-journing the case until December 19. The court passed the order on the PTI petition. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, and other lawyers appeared before the bench. Barrister Gohar said that he was elected as chairman of the PTI unopposed in the December 2 party intra-election. He said that Akbar S Babar had filed an application in the ECP against the election result. He said Akbar S Babar was not a member of the party and had no authority to challenge the election result.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)