ISLAMABAD: Yet another lawmaker linked to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), this time Murad Saeed, has been disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as the number of PTI-linked legislators disqualified from their legislative memberships by the electoral body in the recent months in pursuance of the court convictions reaches 17.
A notification issued by the ECP reads that Saeed has become disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution of Pakistan, and that he is de-notified pursuant to an order passed by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi earlier this month.
On 7th March, the said ATC handed 10-year sentence to Saeed in a 9th May riots case.
The Article 63(1)(h) states that a person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being a member of the Parliament, if they are, on conviction for any offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since their release.
Regarded as a trusted aide of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, Saeed was elected to the Senate on a general seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in July last year. He is presently in hiding amidst reported life threats he faces from some powerful quarters. Although Saeed did not take oath as senator due to him being in hiding, he issued a reported letter from an undisclosed location announcing to quit the Senate in protest to what he said was denial of proper medical care to Khan, the ex-PM.
The resignation was not accepted by Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani reportedly because its authenticity was not verified.
In the recent months,17 PTI-linked lawmakers including Saeed have been disqualified by the ECP following their convictions by the courts.
These lawmakers comprise eight NA members, six Punjab Assembly members, and three senators.
Abdul Latif (NA-1 Chitral), Omar Ayub Khan (NA-18 Haripur), Ahmed Chattha (NA-66 Wazirabad), Rai Haider Ali (NA-96 Faisalabad), Sahibzada Hamid Raza (NA-104 Faisalabad), Rai Hassan Nawaz (NA-143 Sahiwal), Jamshaid Dasti (NA-175 Muzaffargarh), Zartaj Gul (NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan), Ansar Iqbal (PP-73 Sargodha), Ahmad Khan (PP-87 Mianwali), Junaid Afzal Sahi (PP-98 Faisalabad), Shahid Javed (PP-115 Faisalabad), Muhammad Ismael (PP-116 Faisalabad), Rai Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203 Sahiwal), Shibli Faraz (Senate), Ejaz Chaudhary (Senate) and Murad Saeed (Senate) are among the disqualified legislators.
Except Dasti, the other 16 lawmakers were disqualified by the ECP keeping in view their convictions by the ATCs in the cases related to 9 May riots.
Dasti was disqualified by the electoral body on the charges of having fake educational credentials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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