Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday staged a protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and demanded the resignations of the members of the election body including Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
The PTI Senators, MNAs, and other party leaders including Asad Umar, Omar Ayub, and Sheikh Rasheed marched toward the ECP office in Islamabad and chanted slogans against the incumbent CEC who they termed as biased toward the party.
“We have come here to submit charter of demands to the commission,” Asad Umar said, demanding that the members of the ECP should resign to uphold the supremacy of law and the Constitution.
He demanded that the political instability should be ended through restructuring the incumbent ECP.
The party leaders were stopped by law enforcers initially to march towards the ECP office; however, they were later allowed to go to the gate and submit an MoU, demanding the resignation of CEC and other ECP members to a representative of the commission.
They submitted charter of demands to the ECP official and resolutions of the two provincial assemblies, demanding removal of the CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja.
It is to note that former prime minister Imran Khan has given a “peaceful public protest” call at F9 Park around 6pm against the incumbent
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and the Election Commission
of Pakistan (ECP).
In a tweet on Thursday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman said he will
be addressing the gathering between 7:00-7:30pm.
Imran maintained that the CEC and ECP are in cahoots with the “imported”
government and tried a technical knockout against PTI after Pakistan Muslim
League Nawaz (PML-N) got routed in the Punjab by-elections “despite support
of state machinery and ECP shenanigans.”
The ex-premier highlighted how the coalition government, ECP and CEC are
“cowering in fear” about the same happening to entire Pakistan Democratic
Movement in the general elections.
It is pertinent to mention that Imran had given a protest call outside the
ECP after the latter announced the verdict in the prohibited funding case.
Shortly after, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had said that no one will be
allowed to enter the red zone and the security was beefed up around the ECP
office with high barricades on Thursday morning.
It is pertinent to note that Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration on Thursday rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s request for holding a public gathering at NADRA Chowk falling within the area of Red Zone which had been declared “no protest or gathering zone” to maintain law and order.
However, the ICT administration proposed the PTI two other sites including F-9 Park and H-9 ground for the purpose subject to certain terms and conditions.
“The section 144 of Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC) has been imposed on gathering of persons in Islamabad including Red Zone and specifically, no participant is allowed to enter in and around the Red Zone,” said a notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon for intimation of peaceful public gathering in Islamabad.
“The gathering [of PTI] shall not disturb or disrupt the fundamental rights of citizens of Islamabad and adjoining areas including Right to Freedom of Movement under Article 15, Right to Freedom of Trade and Business under Article 18 and Right to Education under Article 25-A [of the Constitution], hence no roads shall be blocked,”
The gathering shall start at 1pm and end at 6pm on August 4. It will be the duty of organizers to ensure the dispersal after the end of event.
Similarly, no object of lethal or non-lethal force including batons of any size would be wielded by any participant of the gathering, nor any participant shall indulge in violence or clashes.
In case of any such incidents or violence, the DC warned that the organizers would be held responsible. Hence, the permission was given for public gathering, while the sit-in was not allowed.
The permission for public gathering would be valid for August 4, said the DC while requesting the said party to disperse by the same day.
Earlier on August 3, the PTI chief, during an interview with a private tv
channel, had said the “neutrals” had assured him that CEC Raja will stay
impartial, and therefore he agreed on the appointment.
