ECP accepts Imran’s apology in ballot secrecy case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan accepted on Friday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan’s apology over violating the electoral code of conduct by casting his ballot publicly.

The commission also ordered issuance of notification for Imran’s victory in NA-53 Islamabad constituency, where he stamped the ballot paper publicly instead of going behind the voting screen to cast his vote in secrecy.

A written reply and an affidavit were submitted by the PTI chief earlier in the day during a hearing held by a four-member bench that was headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza. 

The commission had sought a signed apology from Imran and also rejected the response submitted by his counsel Babar Awan a day earlier. 

According to the PTI chief’s counsel, his client did not intentionally stamp his ballot publicly. The reply stated that photos of Imran's ballot were taken without his permission, while the curtain, used around the ballot for secrecy, had fallen due to crowd inside the polling booth.

Awan had also sought an end to the case and requested the ECP to issue notification for Imran's victory from NA-53 Islamabad. However, the ECP had dismissed the reply and ordered Imran to submit a signed apology.

Imran won NA-53 seat by defeating former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, bagging 92,891 votes in contrast to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader’s 44,314 votes.

The electoral body, however, had withheld notification of his success from the constituency in view of the pending case against the PTI chief.