Barrister Gohar slams ECP’s decision saying it lacks authority to issue disqualification notifications
Faisal Sheikh
ISLAMABAD: Top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including the opposition leaders in the Senate and National Assembly — Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub Khan, respectively — have moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruling disqualifying them following convictions in May 9 cases.
PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz have filed petitions in PHC against the election watchdog’s ruling that declared them ineligible for public office.
In separate pleas, the senior PTI leaders maintained that the ECP decision is unlawful and pleaded with the court to overturn the ruling.
The move comes a day after ECP de-notified nine PTI lawmakers following their convictions in the May 9 cases.
Those disqualified include five members of the National Assembly, one senator, and three members of the Punjab Assembly.
The list includes Omar Ayub (MNA from NA-18 Haripur), Rai Hassan Nawaz (MNA from NA-143 Sahiwal-III), Zartaj Gul (MNA from NA-185 DG Khan-II), Rai Haider Ali (MNA from NA-96 Faisalabad-II), and Sahibzada Hamid Raza (MNA from NA-104 Faisalabad-X) from the lower house of parliament.
Punjab Assembly members Muhammad Ansar Iqbal (MPA from PP-73 Sargodha-III) Junaid Afzal (MPA from PP-98 Faisalabad-I), and Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal (MPA from PP-203 Sahiwal-VI) were also de-notified.
The disqualification came days after a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad sentenced several PTI leaders to 10 years in prison each in connection with cases registered in the aftermath of the May 9, 2023, violence.
In its verdict, the special ATC sentenced 108 individuals of the total 185 accused and acquitted 77 others including former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi and Khayal Kastro.
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