Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) reiterated its request for the government on Monday to form a parliamentary committee to appoint a new commissioner in the elections (CEC), one day after the end of the mandate of Sikander Sultan Raja.
The head of the PTI and opposition figure Omar Ayub wrote to the President of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, exhorting him to establish the committee to ensure compliance with constitutional requirements.
“The mandate of Sikander Sultan Raja ended yesterday. He has no moral authority to continue. He and the two retirement commissioners should withdraw immediately, “said Ayub on the social media platform X.
Raja’s mandate was marked by the controversy, including last year’s general elections, which have experienced allegations of manipulated results, internet breakdowns and delays. The Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) denied the allegations of PTI, while the goalkeeper’s government awarded the disturbances to the maintenance of public order.
The tensions between the party of Imran Khan and Raja culminated in August 2022, when the ECP judged that PTI had received prohibited foreign funds, an accusation that the party denies. Later that year, the Commission disqualified Khan from the public service unconvolved assets, a PTI verdict rejected as politically motivated.
Imran Khan, imprisoned since August 2023 for several accusations, was removed from office in April 2022 by a parliamentary vote. Once aligned with the powerful soldiers of Pakistan, Khan has since accused him of supporting his political rivals, allegations that the army denies.
The demand for a new CEC comes as political tensions between the PTI and the government degenerate. The PTI last week withdrawn from the talks, citing unsatisfied requests for judicial commissions to investigate anti-government demonstrations in May 2023 and November 2024, and the liberation of Khan and political prisoners.
The government’s negotiation team undertook to respond to PTI requests before January 28, criticizing the party to withdraw from the talks unilaterally. Meanwhile, calls for the appointment of a new electoral leader remain unresolved, further intensifying the political deadlock.