Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has filed a reference in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.
PTI has filed the new reference more than two months after it had withdrawn the same reference so that more evidence could be added to highlight further legal aspects.
The reference has been filed by PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, who, while talking to media after filing the reference, said that he had paid his debt to the nation by filing the reference. He also said that the decision will now rest with the SJC.
Senator Ejaz Chaudhry also said that they added the audio recording of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in which PTI’s resignations from the National Assembly were being discussed. He questioned that how could a convict approve resignations.
PTI’s Maleeka Bukhari was also present with Senator Ejaz Chaudhry. She said that CEC had persistently given decisions against PTI.
The initial reference for the removal of CEC was filed on August 4. The reference moved through PTI’s Babar Awan had pleaded with the SJC that due to continuous and deliberate misconduct, removal of the CEC should be ordered.
It had also alleged that a delegation of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had met with CEC and four other members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on July 29 in his office where he was pressurized for announcing the verdict on prohibited funding case.
It also said that after that ECP had decided to announce verdict on August 2. The verdict had ruled that PTI had received prohibited funding.
It further said that CEC had violated his oath and the decision of the ECP was illegal and unlawful. The reference also said that the CEC had been opposing the introduction of electronic voting machines to enable PTI’s opponents to use unfair means.
