Islamabad (Web Desk):The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday directed the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to hold intra-party elections in two months.
A five-member Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, resumed the hearing of the case regarding the intra-party elections of the political parties.
During today's hearing, PML-N counsel counsel Ahsan Jahangir informed the court that the intra-party polls were delayed due to some unavoidable circumstances as President and Secretary General of the party had gone abroad.
"PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal would return to Pakistan from Geneva by Jan 14, he said adding that the party was planning to hold elections on January 31.
ECP Punjab Member Babar Bharwana remarked that the electoral symbol of the Party would be withdrawn if elections were not held by January 31.
In his remarks, CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja said that a person who was so busy that he could not hold intra-party elections should not be the party president.
The CEC that said that the electoral body could grant more time if valid reasons were submitted.
After hearing arguments from the lawyer of the political party, the electoral body directed the PML-N leadership to hold intra-party elections by March 14.
On January 5 the ECP had given the PML-N a week to hold intra-party elections with the warning that the election symbol allotted to the Party would be withdrawn.
As per the record, the intra-party election in the PML-N was due by March 22, 2022.