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Bilawal praises ECP for withstanding former govt’s pressure

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  • “We support all institutions in their effort to transition from controversial to constitutional roles,” Bilawal says.
  • Adds that Imran Khan’s politics is now based on “lies and propaganda”.
  • Says Imran Khan’s protest call outside ECP offices is a “blatant pressure tactic to further bully the institution.”

KARACHI: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Monday said his party supports all institutions in their effort to transition from “controversial to constitutional” roles.

According to a statement issued by the PPP Media Cell, Bilawal praised the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sikandar Sultan Raja, for withstanding the pressure exerted by the former government and improving the functioning and standing of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

“Imran Khan’s politics now is to target all institutions with his Mujay Ku Nahi Bachaya campaign; his politics is now based on lies and propaganda,” he said.

Bilawal said the masses know that the only reason Imran Khan is targeting the ECP is that Raja — whom the PTI had chosen itself — “refused to turn the ECP into Imran Khan’s tiger force”.

“He has stood with this institution and the Constitution, and if this attitude continues, we have hopes of seeing an empowered ECP in the future,” Bilawal added.

Read more: ECP to complete delimitation of constituencies within four months

The PPP chairman went on to say that Imran Khan’s protest call outside the offices of the ECP was tantamount to a “blatant pressure tactic to further bully, blackmail, and pressure the institution into not releasing the damning foreign funding decisions related to the PTI.”

“All such efforts will fail. The truth will prevail, Insha Allah,” he added.

PTI to protest outside ECP offices 

On Sunday, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry announced that the party will protest outside the ECP offices across the country against the CEC Sikander Sultan Raja’s “attitude”.

Taking to Twitter, Fawad said that the PTI’s political committee met and reviewed “matters related” to the ECP.

Fawad alleged that CEC’s Raja had gone to “extremes of impartiality and dishonesty” and had claimed that “under a plan” the ECP was not issuing the notification to unseat the dissident MNAs of the party.

“Therefore, the PTI will protest outside the ECP’s office across the country on April 26, Tuesday, against the election commissioner’s attitude,” said Fawad.

He had added that all district offices of the PTI have been issued instructions regarding the protest.

The PTI has been accusing the ECP of acting impartially ever since the Islamabad High Court ordered the electoral body to wrap up the PTI’s foreign funding case within 30 days.

The orders were issued on April 14 by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on applications filed by the PTI, asking for Akbar S Babar’s separation from the case, the dismissal of the case, and keeping the PTI documents secret.

The PTI had challenged the ECP’s applications seeking the exclusion of Babar, the petitioner, from the foreign funding case. It had also demanded that all records of the case, including the documents requisitioned through the State Bank of Pakistan, should not be shared with Babar, who had filed the case in November 2014.

However, the IHC ruled that the ECP’s role “is of important nature and same cannot be curtailed in any manner”. It noted that the body is a “supervisory, regulatory and administrative body under the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, to deal with the affairs of political parties, election, and its results”.

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Preliminary ruling on Sheikh Rashid’s exoneration plea on conspiracy to assassinate President Zardari

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On Thursday, the Islamabad District and Sessions Court reserved judgment on Sheikh Rashid’s (leader of the Awami Muslim League) appeal in the matter of alleged plot to assassinate President Asif Ali Zardari.

Earlier, Sheikh Rashid sought exoneration in the matter by lodging a plea.

On Thursday, the session was presided over by Civil Judge Yasir Mehmood.

The ex-minister of the federal government and his legal team made an appearance in court.

In court, lawyer Sardar Razaq contended that the FIR filed against Sheikh Rashid did not adhere to the law.

The veteran politician’s lawyer begged the court to clear his client’s name in the case that was filed with the Abpara Police Station.

The case’s ruling was postponed by the court.

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KP CM Ganadapur granted three weeks of travel bail by PHC

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The chief minister of KP, Ali Amin Gandapur, has been granted three weeks of transit bail in his plea with the Peshawar High Court (PHC).

The appeal for information regarding charges against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was considered by a two-judge panel from the PHC, which included Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah.

The chief justice noted that the chief minister showed up for the court hearing, even though he was actually scheduled to be in Islamabad for an IMF meeting.

The applicant’s legal representative has asked for specifics of all pending charges against Chief Minister Gandapur, including those in Punjab.

According to the assistant attorney general, he told the ministry of the interior to adhere rigidly to court orders.

According to CJ Ibrahim, they have the option to request a response from the federal government and extend protection bail up to the Punjab region.

In every case, the additional attorney general ensured that court orders were implemented. He said that he had written to each district and requested details from the Punjab Police and the Inspector General.

The assistant attorney general has asked for an extension of three weeks to complete the report.

Gandapur could not attend the court daily due to his administrative duties and his position as chief minister and public office holder, according to Justice Asadullah.

After extending KP CM’s protective bail, the judge postponed the case hearing to December 17.

“Prepared to Protest”

Speaking to the media outside of PHC, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur declared that he was prepared for the PTI protest meeting and that this time, the action plan will be stringent but undisclosed.

He emphasized that their peaceful protest was in accordance with their constitutionally protected right. According to him, his group was attacked, rubber bullets were shot, and routes were blocked so that protests couldn’t take place.

Importantly, on November 24th, Aleema Khan, who is the brother of PTI founder Imran Khan, said that her brother had called for a final protest.

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A response to an intra-party election case has been granted an extension by PTI.

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The matter involving PTI’s intra-party elections was heard by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and the party once again asked for more time to respond.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, chairman of the PTI, and petitioner Akbar S. Babar were both present before a two-member ECP court that heard the matter.

In response to PTI’s plea for additional time to respond, the Election Commission extended the deadline.

Additional case proceedings will not resume until December 4, per the commission’s adjournment.

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