Party constitution also consulted to determine ticket allotment, says ECP

KARACHI: Spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Haroon Shinwari said on Friday that a party’s constitution is one of three documents which determine allotment of tickets for elections.

Shinwari was speaking on Geo News show Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath regarding claims by both Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief and the party’s Rabita Committee that they have the mandate to award party tickets for the upcoming Senate elections.

“The RO will see what the party’s constitution says, alongside Elections Act 2017 and Election Rules (ECP rules) 2017,” Shinwari said.

The ECP official added that according to ECP rules, a district returning officer will have these documents before him on February 12 during the scrutiny process and make the decision accordingly.

Shinwari further said the ECP has a facilitation centre for the RO, which includes officials from the Federal Board of Revenue and NAB to assist him in the process. Otherwise, the RO is completely independent in making his decision after consulting the three aforementioned documents.

The ECP official added that individuals can approach an appellate tribunal court—or the court itself can take notice—against the RO’s decision if it is deemed objectionable by any party.

Answering a question regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s address today in Lodhran, despite ECP’s warning not to, Shinwari said the commission has taken notice of the flouting of rules by the PTI chairman and has issued notices to the party chief and the candidate for the by-poll.

Our monitoring teams will go through the footage of the rally and submit it to the ECP, and appropriate action will be taken, he added.

MQM-P rift

MQM-P chief Dr Farooq Sattar and the party’s Rabita Committee have been at loggerheads over the allotment of Senate tickets.

On Friday, the rift intensified as the Rabita Committee wrote a letter to the ECP aimed at wresting authority from Sattar.

The letter informed the ECP that the authority to issue party tickets rests with the Rabita Committee, not the party chief.

However, ECP officials in response to the letter have stated that the authority to issue tickets rests with the party chief or a person nominated by the party chief.

The letter sent by the Rabita Committee stated that according to Section 19(a) of the party's constitution, the authority to nominate candidates for election rests with the Rabita Committee. It further adds that the Rabita Committee had in its session finalised the names of candidates for the Senate of Pakistan elections.

Finally, the letter informs the ECP that the authority to write letters to the commission with regards to candidates rests with Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and if the power to issue tickets to candidates rested with any individual that power stands withdrawn.

The letter to the ECP comes at a time when the rift between party chief Farooq Sattar and members of the Rabita Committee has widened. Both sides fielded separate candidates for the Senate election. The issue stems from Sattar wanting to award a Senate ticket to Kamran Tessori, a move which has been opposed by the Rabita Committee.