LHC moved against ECP’s decision to suspend PML-Q intra-party elections

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) injunction to suspend intra-party-elections of the PML-Q.

The ECP has suspended the PML-Q intra-party elections scheduled for August 10 and reinstated Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as party president and Tahir Bashir Cheema as Secretary-General.

PML-Q Punjab Secretary-General Kamil Ali Agha submitted a petition through his lawyer Safdar Shaheen Pirzada against the ECP’s decision restraining the party from conducting intra-party elections to select the new party chief.

The petition stated that during the election of Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Shujaat sent a letter to Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker which was based on illegal instructions. He said party workers lodged a strong protest outside Chaudhry Shujaat’s residence against the letter.

It added that a meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee had termed Chaudhry Shujaat’s instructions as illegal and condemned his undemocratic behaviour. Chaudhry Shujaat was subsequently removed from his post and a schedule was issued to hold elections on August 10 to pick the new party chief.

The petitioner said the ECP has issued a restraining order stopping the election process on the request of Chaudhry Shujaat by stating that the party does not have a Central Working Committee. He questioned how Chaudhry Shujaat can remain party leader if the ECP’s stance is valid. The petitioner urged the court to declare the ECP’s order as null and void.

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had filed an application with the ECP to stop intra-party elections. Shujaat has made Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Punjab secretary general, central chairman and the commission as respondents to the petition.

The party has also issued a show-cause notice to Kamil Ali Agha to explain the “unconstitutional and illegal removal” of the president and secretary general. The notice also declared the July 22 meeting of the party Central Working Committee illegal and unconstitutional.

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