PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar has filed a complaint with the Election Commission of Pakistan, alleging that the party’s recent intra-party elections were rigged and fraudulent. The elections took place on Saturday and resulted in Barrister Gohar Ali Khan being elected as the new party chairman. However, Babar has challenged the entire process in court, claiming that the party carried out a selection process to exclude party workers and give control to a select few lawyers.
Babar outlined several discrepancies in the election process, including the lack of information about the election rules, regulations, and nomination timeline. He also questioned the legitimacy of the vote-counting process and the announcement of election results. Babar alleged that the party disenfranchised members and carried out a “mere eye wash” of an election.
He has requested that the ECP declares the intra-party elections null and void and orders new polls to be held. Babar also suggested that independent third-party monitors oversee the new election process and that the PTI’s election symbol of the bat be held in abeyance until transparent polls are conducted.
Babar, along with other PTI members, has submitted separate petitions to the ECP, calling for the intra-party elections to be declared invalid and for new polls to be conducted. They believe that the party should be given another chance to hold transparent elections and are advocating for the “saving of the bat,” referring to the PTI’s election symbol.