ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has said that under Sections 208 and 209 of the Election Act, 2017, all political parties are required to hold internal party elections within five years in accordance with their party constitution. Originally, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was supposed to hold its internal elections by June 13, 2021, but they were not held on time, a statement issued by the ECP said here on Wednesday. Before sending the notice on July 27, 2021, the ECP sent repeated reminders to PTI, it further said. In response, PTI sought a one-year extension citing the COVID-19 pandemic. The ECP granted the extension on PTI’s request and extended the deadline to June 13, 2022. However, the PTI submitted incomplete intra-party election documents under Form 65 to the ECP in June 2022 and despite repeated reminders, the party continued to delay submission of the required documents. Despite the inordinate delay, the ECP has shown flexibility throughout the process and provided PTI with many opportunities to meet its constitutional demands. “However, the responsibility for the slow progress rests with the PTI as the ECP continues to work to resolve the matter legally,” the statement further said. The PTI held its recent internal party elections on March 3, 2024, but the process was marred by several flaws. The ECP served notice on these matters on 23 April 2024, with the first hearing on 30 April 2024. The case was heard six times between April and October 2024. However, PTI sought an adjournment, including a hearing on 2 October 2024, to get more time. The ECP held several hearings in this regard, but the matter remained unresolved due to PTI’s repeated requests for adjournment.
