Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) declared on Thursday that it would conduct fresh intra-party elections on February 5th. This decision follows a significant setback for the party, as the Supreme Court's ruling nullified the results of the initial round, leading to the loss of PTI's electoral symbol, the 'bat.'
Rauf Hassan, PTI's Federal Election Commissioner, released the official schedule for the upcoming intra-party polls, aiming to demonstrate transparency to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
All PTI members registered by January 31, 2024, are eligible to vote at designated locations nationwide or through the 'Raabta Application Intra Party Election Module.'
Details of participating panels and candidates, along with the election procedure as per the Election Rules, 2020, will be available on the PTI website and the Raabta app.
Voting will take place from 10 am to 4 pm, with election venues and the appellate tribunal date to be announced today.
Nomination papers can be obtained from PTI's central secretariat or the party website from February 1 to 2, with a submission deadline set for 10 pm on February 2. Nominees can submit papers physically or digitally via email.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will occur on February 3, and objections, in case of rejection, will be accepted the same day until 10 pm.
After the successful submission of nomination papers, the final panels participating in the intra-party election will be published on the PTI website at 4 pm on February 4.
Official results of the intra-party election will be announced by PTI on February 6.
Previously, PTI conducted intra-party elections in December last year, facing criticism when 14 members objected to being excluded from the contest. The ECP invalidated PTI's intra-party polls on December 22. PTI challenged the ECP decision in the Peshawar High Court, which deemed it 'illegal' and returned the bat symbol to PTI.
However, on January 13, the Supreme Court set aside the PHC order, dealing a significant blow to PTI by depriving the party of its iconic election symbol ahead of the February 8 general elections.
