Imran violated PTI's constitution in nominating Raja as secretary general

• Omar Ayub's resignation not yet formally accepted.
• Gohar says Raja’s work as secy gen is internal matter.
• PTI Constitution has no provision for secy gen's nomination.

ISLAMABAD: The constitution of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf does not recognise Salman Akram Raja as secretary general of the PTI.

PTI sources told The News that there is no provision in the PTI constitution for "nomination" as the secretary general of someone who has not been elected before as party of the ‘Panel of Secretary General’. 

Only an additional secretary general can take over as secretary general in case this all-important party position gets vacant.

These sources said that neither Omar Ayub, who was the elected secretary general of the party, has been denotified nor Raja has been notified as yet as Ayub’s replacement. 

Ayub had resigned from this key party position but it has not yet been formally accepted. On the direction of Imran Khan, the founder PTI founder, Raja is presently serving as secretary general but it has no legal backing and instead is in violation of the PTI’s constitution.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, when contacted, confirmed that the notification of Raja as PTI’s SG has not been issued. He said these are the party’s internal matters and not all that important that the media should focus them. He said Raja’s work as SG of the party is part of the internal management of the PTI.

The sources, however, insist that this is a serious illegality and violation of the PTI constitution. According to a PTI source, the party’s last prevailing constitution was that of May 2019. 

It was amended in June 2022 and held inter-party elections on June 9, 2022. The Election Commission of Pakistan, however, refused to accept PTI’s intra-party elections as validly held and declined issuance of the certificate.

The ECP held that the constitution of the PTI had not been amended. Certain other discrepancies were also found in the documentation and holding of inter-party elections by the ECP, which directed the holding of inter-party elections within 20 days according to its prevailing constitution of 2019.

Based on ECP direction, the PTI had to hold its intra-party elections on the basis of the 2019 constitution. In December 2023, the PTI held its party elections in accordance with the 2019 constitution. 

The ECP again did not accept the elections and regretted the certificate on 22nd December 2023. The PHC and the SC upheld the ECP decisions as a consequence the PTI’s 2019 Constitution got finality.

Under the 2019 Constitution, the PTI has a two-tier party organisation — the chairman as head of the party and the central party organisation. The chairman to be elected by votes of all members of PTI for five years. 

The chairman cannot be nominated even if he resigns. This is office by election only. In case of death or resignation, the secretary general is to continue for up to 30 days and the election for chairman is to be held within those 30 days.

As per the constitution, the vice chairman, president and four central vice presidents are to be nominated by the chairman. These are the only offices to be filled through nomination by the chairman. 

All other offices are to be filled through intra-party elections. The office bearers for the offices of secretary general, additional SG, deputy SG and joint SG are elected for a three-years term by secret ballot on a ‘panel basis’.

In case the secretary general is unable to perform his functions for any reason — additional secretary general will take full control as secretary general. There is no provision in the PTI Constitution for ‘nomination’ as secretary general and it makes Raja a non-entity.

Originally published in The News