- LHC stay stalls PTI intra-party election verdict.
- ECP says Gohar lacks locus standi as party head.
- PTI appears on ECP rolls without a chairman listed.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has formally written to Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, stating that it does not accept him as the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), The News reported on Sunday.
Gohar disclosed the development at a news conference, held in response to Friday’s briefing by the ISPR director general, saying: “Today, I have been informed through a letter that the Election Commission does not recognise me as the chairman of PTI.”
A senior ECP official told The News that the letter to Barrister Gohar is dated November 26 and bears the signature of the commission’s Additional Director General (Elections), Syed Nadeem Haider.
It has been written in response to the application Gohar had written to the commission in relation to the recently elected PTI-backed senators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
When approached, Barrister Gohar confirmed that he had received the letter today (Saturday), which was written to him on November 26, but had landed at the party’s Central Office.
The issue of PTI intra-party elections has been pending before the ECP for months now due to the stay order the political party obtained from the Lahore High Court.
Citing these circumstances, the electoral body has declined to accept him as the chairman of the party, therefore, he has no locus standi.
It was learnt that in the given situation, the ECP could soon consider seeking vacation of the stay order to push for arriving at a final verdict with regard to the long-pending case.
According to the ECP website, the PTI is among 170 political parties enlisted at serial No. 83, but without its head/chairman.
