Political parties: ECP accepts intra-party polls
Chaudhry Shujat Hussain is the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (Quaid-e-Azam) or Q-League, his son Salik Hussain is the party's Senior Vice President, and Tariq Hassan is the party's Secretary General — all elected unopposed —according to intra-party elections certificate issued to Q-League by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Member National Assembly (MNA) Tariq Bashir Cheema and Senator Kamil Ali Agha, the two Q-Leaguers who separately held the position of the party's Secretary General, have not been given any position in the new set-up.
Since last year, besides PML-Q, the ECP has accepted the intra-party elections of mainstream political parties including PML-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP).
Intra-party elections of the political parties are generally regarded as being of symbolic significance, and the ECP mostly accepts the related certificates submitted to it by the political parties regarding completion of their respective intra-party polls. Holding intra-party elections is a mandatory requirement for every political party under the relevant election laws.
Section 208(1) of the Elections Act 2017 provides that the office-bearers of a political party at the federal, provincial and local levels, wherever applicable, shall be elected periodically in accordance with the constitution of the political party: Provided that a period, not exceeding five years, shall intervene between any two elections.
However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intra-party polls case sees a prolonged delay of almost three years, under highly questionable circumstances, amidst serious allegations of foul play on part of the ECP. The electoral entity has rejected the legality of these elections thrice, since June 2022, allegedly out of politically motivated reasons.
Apart from PTI, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) is another political party, the intra-party elections case of which is pending with the ECP since last year.
Last September, the JUI-F sought two-month time from the electoral entity in holding the intra-party elections, citing its 'hectic engagements' with the government related to the 26th Constitutional Amendment, a controversial legislative draft that allegedly aimed at clipping some key powers of the superior judiciary.
The 26th Constitutional Amendment was passed by the Parliament in October. Still, the JUI-F intra-party elections case is pending amidst the reports the political party is yet to complete its party polls process countrywide.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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