ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has initiated strict proceedings against the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) led by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, over alleged failure to hold intra-party elections and unlawful changes to its party constitution.
A five-member bench of the Election Commission headed by the Chief Election Commissioner heard the case on Monday. PKMAP was represented by its legal counsel.
The development comes months after Achakzai’s appointment as opposition leader. It may be recalled that on January 16 this year, the National Assembly Secretariat notified Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition, ending a nearly five-month vacancy in the key parliamentary office.
The post had fallen vacant in August 2025 following the disqualification of Omar Ayub Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after his conviction in cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots. Later, PTI founder Imran Khan had nominated PKMAP Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the slot of opposition leader in the National Assembly and Azam Swati for the Senate, according to the PTI.
At the outset of the hearing, the Chief Election Commissioner told PKMAP’s lawyer that a decision would first be taken on the power of attorney and related legal authorization.
Masood Sherwani, Special Secretary Political Finance of the Election Commission, presented the background of the case. He informed the commission that PKMAP had last held its intra-party elections on December 21, 2022. Since the tenure of party office-bearers is fixed at three years, fresh elections were mandatory by December 21, 2025.
According to him, the Commission reminded the party to hold elections on October 1, 2025, and later issued a show-cause notice on January 15, 2026. In response, the party sought a 180-day extension which was granted. However, a subsequent request for another 180 days was rejected and the party was directed to complete intra-party elections by June 19, 2026 in any case. The party neither held the elections nor submitted a proper response, he added.
The Special Secretary said the case comprises two fundamental issues: non-conduct of intra-party elections and amendments made to the party constitution.
He stated that PKMAP convened a national jirga on April 19, 2026 and amended its constitution, submitting the documents to the Election Commission on April 30. He contended that the national jirga was not authorized to amend the constitution and that such authority rested with newly elected office-bearers. The party, he said, had not merely amended the constitution but had practically drafted and submitted a new constitution, which was not in conformity with legal requirements.
Raising further objections, the Special Secretary said that 180 persons were found absent from the list of 1,410 members submitted by PKMAP. He pointed out that the term “Southern Pashtunkhwa” had been used in the documents instead of Balochistan and that the party had not submitted its manifesto.
According to the Commission officials, political demands could be part of a party manifesto but could not be incorporated into the party constitution. He said the new constitution included points pertaining to law and order, a political stance on military institutions, declaring Attock, Mianwali and other Pashtun-populated areas as part of “Pashtunistan”, and non-recognition of the Durand Line as an international border. Such provisions, he argued, were in conflict with Section 200 of the Elections Act, 2017 and Article 5 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Special Secretary Law Muhammad Arshad concurred, stating that such points could be part of a manifesto, not the constitution.
Members of the commission also raised questions during the proceedings. The Member from Punjab inquired as to where the constitutional violation lay if a party demanded creation of new provinces or a change of name. Member Balochistan Shah Muhammad Jatoi remarked that lists of workers provided by political parties were not biometrically verified. Member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (Retd) Ikramullah Khan pointed out that PKMAP itself had stated in its documents that it had framed a new constitution.
The Chief Election Commissioner observed that the party had neither been able to hold intra-party elections nor had its new constitution been approved by the Election Commission.
Counsel for PKMAP requested that all objections of the Commission be provided in writing so that a comprehensive response could be filed.
The Chief Election Commissioner directed that the written objections be conveyed to the lawyer and also summoned the power of attorney. The Commission sought a detailed reply from PKMAP and adjourned further hearing of the case till July 28.
