ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top electoral body, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected allegations by former prime minister Imran Khan that its chief Sikandar Sultan Raja was taking decisions against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Tensions between the PTI and the ECP have escalated over the past couple of weeks as Khan’s party braces for the ECP’s verdict in the foreign funding case. 

PTI’s former central vice president, Akbar S. Babar, reported an alleged massive scam in funding received by the party from abroad in 2014. The ECP formed a committee in April to probe the issue.

Khan has leveled serious allegations against Raja over the past couple of weeks. At a PTI workers convention in Lahore on Wednesday, the former prime minister had accused the chief election commissioner (CEC) of being an “agent” of the ruling party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The former prime minister had claimed that Raja took ECP’s decisions without consensus, asking him to step down as he had lost the confidence of “the largest political party in Pakistan.”

In a press release issued today, Thursday, the ECP rejected Khan’s allegations and said that the ECP takes decisions with consensus.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan is a constitutional institution where all decisions are taken in light of the law and the constitution,” read the ECP’s press release.

In an indirect reference to Khan, the ECP said that certain people were intentionally creating an ill-intentioned perception that only one individual is taking the ECP’s decision.

“This is completely wrong and baseless,” it said. “In fact all decisions taken from January 2020 till date, whether the commission comprised five members or three, were taken with consensus.”

It added that none of the ECP’s members had even written even a dissenting note when its verdicts were issued, adding that there is “complete harmony” between the ECP chief and members of the commission.

The ECP said that it would continue to take decisions in the best interests of the country and in light of the constitution and “without any pressure.”

The electoral body has also sought copies of the speeches of Khan and other PTI lawmakers that were aired on TV channels on April 26. In the speeches, the former prime minister and PTI lawmakers had taken aim at the ECP.