MUZAFFARABAD/ ISLAMABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Saturday rejected the registration application of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PTI), a move that may bar the party from participating in the upcoming AJK general election, scheduled for July.
The decision was announced during a meeting of the commission, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Mustafa Mughal, where a reserved verdict on PTI’s registration plea was issued.
Reacting strongly to the decision, the PTI condemned what it described as an “unjust, arbitrary and politically motivated” rejection of PTI AJK’s registration. In a statement issued on Saturday, the party said the decision had been conveyed through a press release after an unexplained delay of nearly 30 months.
The PTI maintained that under the directions of AJK High Court, issued on October 5, 2023, all political parties were required to submit fresh registration applications under the AJK Election Act, 2020. The party said the PTI AJK had complied with the requirement on November 20, 2023, by submitting all necessary documents, including audited accounts and lists of office-bearers.
According to the party, other mainstream political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl and Jamaat-e-Islami, were registered promptly, while the PTI AJK’s application remained pending before being rejected months ahead of the elections.
The party argued that denying registration to one of the major political forces in Azad Kashmir amounted to depriving the people of a level playing field and undermining democratic rights. The PTI claimed that any election held without the participation of a principal political stakeholder would lack legitimacy and credibility.
The party also called for immediate reversal of what it termed an “unconstitutional and discriminatory” decision and urged the Election Commission to ensure impartiality and uphold democratic norms by registering PTI AJK before the July elections.
Separately, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised the government’s decision to reduce petrol and diesel prices by Rs5/litre, calling the move insignificant amid soaring inflation and rising cost of living.
In a statement issued on Saturday, he said the nominal reduction offered little relief to the public at a time when the Sensitive Price Index had reached alarming levels.
The PTI leader also accused the government of yielding to the conditions of International Monetary Fund by agreeing to impose an additional Rs430 billion in taxes and increasing petroleum levy targets to Rs1.73 trillion.
