Election Commission Responds to PTI’s Allegations: Denies Claims of Bias

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a statement dismissing allegations made by PTI regarding the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the commission’s impartiality. The ECP emphasized that the accusations are baseless and unfounded.
In an official statement, the commission clarified that recent remarks about a meeting between the CEC and the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly were entirely false and lacked any factual basis. The ECP added that such claims are part of a pattern of misleading propaganda pushed by certain vested interests aimed at discrediting the commission, its members, and the CEC.
The statement further stated that the ECP and its members make decisions strictly in accordance with the Constitution and law, without yielding to pressure, coercion, or any form of blackmail. It stressed that they would not be intimidated by underhanded tactics or unfounded allegations.
The ECP also referenced its previous interactions with several political figures, noting that multiple PTI leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former Secretary-General Asad Umar, and ex-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, had met with the CEC in the past. Additionally, the CEC had multiple meetings with former President Arif Alvi, particularly regarding matters related to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and internet voting, which do not fall under the president’s mandate.
The commission pointed out that such meetings were related to official matters and were entirely appropriate. The statement questioned the inconsistency in PTI’s stance, asking if it was appropriate for political figures to meet with the ECP in the past but now deemed wrong.
On the issue of candidate nominations, the ECP responded to allegations made by Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, who claimed that he was not declared as a candidate of the Sunni Ittehad Council. The ECP clarified that Hamid Raza had submitted his nomination papers as a member of the PTI-led alliance, not as a candidate from the Sunni Ittehad Council. According to the Elections Act, no request for an alliance was made by either PTI or the Sunni Ittehad Council to the commission, nor was a joint symbol requested. Therefore, he was assigned an independent candidate symbol.
Furthermore, the ECP explained that Hamid Raza had informed the commission in writing that no candidate from the Sunni Ittehad Council was contesting in the 2024 general elections, making it impossible to submit a list of female candidates as required under the Elections Act.
In conclusion, the Election Commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting elections in a transparent, lawful, and impartial manner, and rejected all accusations made against it by PTI.