PTI chief submits apology in poll code violation case

islamabad — Prime Ministerin-waiting Imran Khan on Friday submitted a written apology and an affidavit to the election commission for violating the electoral code of conduct while casting his vote in the general election on July 25, media reports said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved its verdict in the case, Geo News reported. The ECP had sought a signed apology from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairperson, Imran Khan, for violating the electoral code of conduct by casting his vote publicly instead of going behind the voting screen.

The written reply and the affidavit were submitted by Imran during the hearing held by a fourmember bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Mohammed Raza, the report said. The commission had on Thursday rejected the response submitted by his counsel Babar Awan who had stated that his client did not intentionally stamp his ballot publicly. He had sought an end to the case and requested the ECP to issue the notification for Imran’s victory from NA-53 Islamabad constituency. The suo motu case against Imran was heard after the ECP took notice of him publicly stamping the ballot paper in NA-53 Islamabad constituency, instead of going behind the voting screen to cast his vote in secrecy.

The electoral body has withheld the notification of his success from the constituency in view of the pending case. —