Islamabad, Jul 29 (PTI) Pakistan's election commission has served a show-cause notice to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is also chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for not holding intra-party elections within the stipulated time, media reports said on Thursday.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notice sought reasons from the PTI chief for not holding intra-party polls due on June 13 this year. He was also asked to respond within 14 days.

In addition to the PTI, the ECP also issued show-cause notices to two other parties for not holding intra-party elections, including the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Geo News reported.

According to the notice, Khan failed to provide the details of intra-party elections to the ECP on June 13. Under the Election Act, all political parties are bound to hold intra-party elections on time, the report said.

"In terms of Section 215 (4) of the Elections Act, 2017, you are required to show cause as to why your party may not be declared ineligible to obtain an election symbol for upcoming Election(s),” the ECP notice to Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, reads.

The ECP also sought a response from the prime minister within 14 days, warning that the election commission "shall take further action under the law" if the notice was not responded to.

The election commission said a political party was required to submit a certificate signed by an office-bearer of the party, assuring that the polls were held in accordance with the constitution of the political party and the Elections Act, the Dawn newspaper reported.

However, the [PTI] failed to provide the certificate with regard to the conduct of intra-party elections due on June 13, 2021 as required under legal requirements, said the ECP.

It also highlighted that a political party enlisted under the Elections Act shall be eligible to obtain an election symbol for contesting elections for parliament, provincial assemblies or local government after the submission of the certificate of intra-party elections, the report said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)