Election Commission of Pakistan seeks footage of Imran Khan's speech from media regulatory
Apr 28, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], April 28 : The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had sought the footage of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's address from Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) where he called Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja a "planted agent" of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N).
On Wednesday, ECP Additional Director General Haroon Khan Shinwari wrote a letter to PEMRA Chairperson, seeking a soft copy of Khan's address which was aired on television. He also asked for the copies of PTI leaders, Khurram Sher Zaman, Haleem Adil Sheikh and Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry's speeches, which were broadcasted on the same day as Khan's speech was broadcasted, Dawn newspaper reported.
In a letter, ECP ADG, Shinwari requested him to "provide recordings of the aforementioned addresses immediately for placing before the Hon'able Commission (ECP)."
Addressing party leaders and lawmakers at the Chief Minister House in Peshawar, PTI Chief on Tuesday said, "Raja has lost all his credibility and should immediately resign. He has no reason to remain as the CEC anymore. An umpire is always independent. When the country's biggest party doesn't have confidence in him, it's time for him to resign."
Last week, Imran Khan claimed that Raja's name was suggested by Pakistan's Army after a deadlock between the government and the opposition. He further suggested that the Chief Election Commissioner should be appointed through an independent body, reported Dawn.
This statement came while he was speaking to journalists at his Bani Gala residence.
Speaking at the rally held in Lahore on April 21, Imran Khan had reiterated allegations of Raja being biased, stating that his leanings were so obvious that "he should be given a Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) office position", as reported by Dawn.
Sikander Sultan Raja was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner in January 2020. This is for the first time that a former bureaucrat was appointed to head the country's apex electoral body.
The decision was taken by a 12-member bipartisan parliamentary panel after several months of back and forth about key appointments to the ECP, which was later forwarded to the Prime Minister for his approval, according to Dawn.
