ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has released the updated list of 175 political parties registered with it ahead of the general elections 2024, which are scheduled for February 8, 2024.
The updated roaster does not carry the name of former prime minister Imran Khan as chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as he has lost the post due to conviction in the Toshakhana case.
The ECP list of registered political parties shows the box, where name of party chairman is written, is blank for the PTI.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had been elected as the PTI chairman in intra-party polls but he also lost the post after the ECP had declared the intra-party elections null and void.
On December 22, ECP ruled that former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI would not be allowed to retain its electoral symbol of ‘bat’ for the February 8 general election due to not holding the intra-party elections in accordance with its constitution.
The ECP announced the reserved verdict a day after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed it to decide on PTI’s intra-party polls and electoral symbol by today in “accordance with the law”.
The development came hours after PTI representatives met ECP officials after the Supreme Court’s order for the ECP to address the party’s concerns regarding a lack of a level playing field in the run up to the general elections of February 8, 2024. According to the PTI, the ECP had assured its delegation that it would address its grievances.
Setting a new precedence, the ECP had taken notice of the PTI’s intra-party in which Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was easily elected as the party’s new chairman. The polls were held on December 3, days after the ECP declared as null and void the intra-party polls held in June 2022, giving the PTI 20 days to hold fresh elections or be ready to become ineligible for the poll symbol.
Meanwhile, the updated ECP list has incorporated the faction led by Pervez Khattak, known as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP).
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