ECP to resume hearing references for MPs disqualification today

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will today (Tuesday) resume hearing in disqualification references against two PTI and one PMLN legislator.

According to the cause list shared on the Commission’s website, the hearing will be conducted in relation to the arguments, submission of reply and further proceedings. Last month, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja presided over a three-member bench and sought a copy of the reference to MNA Adil Bazai of PMLN.

The CEE gave more time to the PTI Senator Saifullah Abro to submit reply to the reference filed by the PPP Senator Shahadat Awan and one Majid Mahmud. Likewise, putting aside a plea by the lawyers of PTI MNA Sohail Sultan that their case was already pending with a high court and that their case would now go to a constitutional bench, the bench had fixed the case for resumption of hearing this month.

Senator Awan and Mahmud filed the reference against Senator Abro, alleging that he had submitted false experience documents for a technocrat seat and did not declare all his assets in the nomination papers.

Likewise, PMLN President Mian Nawaz Sharif had filed a reference against Adil Bazai MNA, elected from NA-262, Quetta with the backing of PTI and later, reportedly, joined the PMLN, for not voting on the finance bill, and then another complaint was filed against him for avoiding to vote for the 26th Amendment.

The third reference was filed against MNA Sohail Sultan by one Nasrullah Khan, who is a resident of Swat. Sohail was elected in the February 8 elections from a Swat constituency with the PTI’s support. The reference was filed under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, alleging that he had provided false information to the ECP about his employment status.

It was also pointed out that the PTI legislator held the position of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa deputy attorney general before his election, which was a violation of the law barring government employees from contesting elections until two years after their retirement.

The Election Commission will also resume hearing in the case of use of intemperate language and contemptuous remarks by former information minister Fawad Chaudhry against the Election Commission during a media talk on January 24 last year. The alleged contemnor is expected to submit his reply to the show cause notice, as his previous one was rejected by the forum.