RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday withdrew its suo motu notice against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on his written apology in the ballot secrecy case.

A four-member commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) former Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza conducted hearing of the case and announced the verdict.

PTI’s counsel Babar Awan submitted affidavit before the bench. Subsequently, the ECP issued the success notification of Khan from Islamabad’s NA-53 constituency.

In his defense, Imran Khan stated that he went inside the polling station alone and inquired from the staff regarding stamping the ballot paper. The polling staff asked him to use a table for the process while the media snapped the picture without his prior consent, he said. The PTI chief stressed that he did not violate ECP’s code of conduct but apologized for his action.

On Thursday, the ECP had termed the reply of Imran Khan as ‘inadmissible’ because his reply did not carry his signature.

On July 25, Imran Khan accompanied by his friends and supporters polled vote in the NA-53 constituency where he was contesting the election against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party’s Syed Sibtul Haider.

Instead of going behind the voting desk to poll his vote secretly, Imran Khan preferred to publicly stamp the ballot paper placing it on the table of the election officer, with cameras filming him. The presiding officer and rest of staff did not stop him for violating the code of conduct.