In an unusual development, Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has expressed “satisfaction” after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. “The meeting was held in a positive atmosphere. He [Raja] heard us out with patience. We, also, noted down his points and we will also share them with our chairman [Imran Khan],” PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said during a press conference after the meeting in Islamabad. The former foreign minister said that the PTI would also “try to facilitate” the election commission with a sole objective: achieving “free, fair, and credible elections” – a long-standing demand of the party. Apart from Qureshi, the PTI delegation that met the chief election commissioner comprised Secretary General Asad Umar and spokesperson on legal issues Maleeka Bokhari.
The party’s vice chairman added that the delegation also informed the CEC of its concerns, including the violence in Lahore. “Right when were about to start our rally, the Lahore administration imposed Section 144. On one hand, our party worker is being killed, and on the other, cases are being registered against us – this is unprecedented,” he said. Raising concerns over the caretaker setups in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Qureshi said that if the interim government picks returning officers (ROs) for elections, then “could they be neutral?” He said that the delegation also asked the CEC if ROs could be appointed through the courts and discussions were also held about the security arrangments for polling stations.