Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has moved Islamabad High Court (IHC) against issuance of schedule of
by-elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan in nine constituencies of the National Assembly. PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry stated in the application filed that a petition is currently pending against the acceptance of nine PTI leaders’ resignations in a phased manner. The court heard the application on August 4 and issued a notice, the application stated, adding that the schedule was issued despite the ECP being aware of the notice.

The plea further called for the ECP’s schedule, issued on August 5, to be suspended. Moreover, the party requested that till a decision is reached in the PTI’s main case, the election schedule should remain suspended. Hours after the ECP announced the schedule for the by-elections, PTI chief Imran Khan decided to contest alone on all nine seats that fell vacant after the National Assembly speaker accepted the resignations of his party’s lawmakers. As per the ECP’s schedule the by-polls in the constituencies will be held on September 25. The PTI chairman’s decision to contest the polls for all the vacant NA seats has raised the stakes of the otherwise considered dull by-elections.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry while speaking to the media had expressed his and the party’s lack of trust in the ECP. Fawad had said that he was not ready to give more time than this and the Election Commission should have respected the court’s decision regarding the by-elections and stopped the schedule till August 16.