ISLAMABAD -  The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday adjourned till November 13 the three petitions challenging intra-party election of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held in June this year.

The four-member bench headed by senior member Abdul Ghaffar Soomro heard the cases and issued notice to PTI for reply.

The cases were adjourned because of the absence of legal counsel of the PTI. One petition was filed by Yousaf Ali regarding illegalities and irregularities committed during PTI intra-party election, 2017.

While other two petitions one filed by Haji Muhammad Ayub and the other by Muhammad Jahangir are seeking removal of new office-bearers from the party who were elected during the 2017 polls.

The elections were contested by two panels, including the Insaf Panel led by Imran Khan and Ehtesab Panel led by Naik Muhammad Khan and 2.7 million registered voters were bound to make just one choice Imran Khan or Naik Muhammad Khan.

The PTI Election Commission headed Chief Election Commissioner Azam Swati had re-drafted party’s constitution and developed software for intra-party election that gave registered voters just two choices: panel 1 or 2. 

The Insaf Panel included all top office-bearers whose offices were dissolved to pave the way for the intra-party poll. They are Imran Khan (chairman), Shah Mahmood Qureshi (vice chairman), Jahangir Khan Tareen (secretary general), Dr Arif Alvi (Sindh president), Yar Muhammad Rind (Balochistan president), Ishaq Khan Khaqwani (south Punjab president), Abdul Aleem Khan (central Punjab president), Aamir Mahmood Kiyani (north Punjab president), Faizullah Kamoka (west Punjab president), Ali Amin Gandapur (KP south region president), Shah Farman (Peshawar region president), Mehmood Khan (Malakand region president), Zar Gul Khan (Hazara region president) and Raja Khurram Nawaz (Islamabad region president).

The Ehtesab Panel comprised Naik Muhammad Khan (chairman), Syed Aftab Shah (vice chairman), retired senator Dr Shahzad Waseem (secretary general), Raja Azhar Khan (Sindh president), Sardar Khadim Hussain Wardak (Balochistan president), Muhammad Ibrahim Khan (south Punjab president), Mansha Sindhu (central Punjab president), Yusaf Khattak (north Punjab president), retired Maj Abdul Rehman Rana (west Punjab president), Ziaullah Bangash (KP south region president), Syed Abdul Saboor Shah (Peshawar region president), Abdul Munim Khan (Malakand region president), Abdul Haque Khan (Hazara region president) and Raja Qaiser Ghaffar (Islamabad region president).