File photo. Aamir Qureshi—AFP
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday took notice of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s tirades against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to provide it with a copy of the former premier’s speech from Peshawar.
In a letter to the media regulatory, the ECP said it wished to peruse the complete record of speeches delivered on April 26 by former prime minister Imran Khan; Sindh Assembly lawmakers Khurram Sher Zaman and Haleem Adil Sheikh; and Senator Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry. “You are, therefore, requested to provide a recording of the aforementioned addresses immediately for placing before the commission,” it added.
On Tuesday, addressing a workers’ convention in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa capital, the PTI chairman had continued his harangues against the CEC, describing Raja as a “planted agent” of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). “Raja has lost all his credibility and he should immediately resign,” he had said, reiterating demands he had previously made during a rally in Lahore. In his Peshawar speech, Khan also urged supporters to launch a social media campaign and collect signatures petitioning for the removal of the CEC.
“He has no reason to remain as the CEC anymore. An umpire is always independent. When the country’s biggest party doesn’t have confidence in him, it’s time for him to resign,” the PTI chairman said and warned of nationwide protests if Raja did not step down as CEC.
There has been a surge in the PTI’s criticism of the ECP, with an emphasis on the conduct of the CEC, following Khan’s ouster from power after a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly. The party’s top leadership has repeatedly accused Raja of being “biased,” and deciding “all cases” against it. The latest round of the criticism has coincided with the ECP proceeding toward a conclusion in the foreign funding case pending against the PTI since 2014. Observers have noted that the party’s efforts appear intended to damage the ECP’s repute ahead of a verdict that is expected to go against the former ruling party.
The same day that Khan delivered his speech in Peshawar, PTI supporters staged small demonstrations outside ECP offices across Pakistan and shouted slogans against the commission and CEC Raja. Responding to the demonstrations, the ECP has said it would not succumb to any pressure and would continue to discharge its legal and constitutional obligations without any fear or favor.