Murad Saeed’s disqualification: Hearing of case pending with ECP which involves ‘complex’ situation taking place today

ISLAMABAD: The hearing of a case pending with the electoral body for over two months— involving a “complex” situation that emerged following the disqualification of PTI’s Murad Saeed from Senate membership— is finally scheduled for hearing today (Tuesday).

A three-member ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, and comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi, is hearing this case.

On April 21 this year, in an allegedly controversial move, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed the by-election on the said Senate seat on an application moved by a Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker, only two days before the said by-poll was scheduled on April 23.

“The matter requires detailed discussion and assistance, therefore, the office is directed to issue notices to all the contesting candidates and necessary parties for appearance and assistance on the question of law raised by the applicant,” read a written order issued by the ECP bench on April 21 after hearing an application moved by Jalal Khan, the Member Provincial Assembly (MPA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who belongs to PML-N.

During the hearing of the case, the petitioner, along with his counsel, appeared before the ECP bench to argue that the electoral body’s decision to declare as vacant the aforementioned Senate was not legally valid keeping in view that Saeed had not taken oath as a senator from the said seat in the first place.

“In the present case, no lawful vacancy has ever existed because Murad Saeed never took oath, nor entered upon office, therefore, he never became a member of the Senate in the constitutional sense,” argued the counsel.

The ECP bench accepted the petition, and the matter is since pending.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fielded Irfan Saleem for the April 23rd by-election. Regarded as a loyalist of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, Saleem is rated as a potential contender for the aforementioned Senate slot keeping in view the PTI’s strength in the KP provincial legislature.

Allegedly, the ECP’s decision to postpone the by-election aimed at blocking Saleem’s way to the Upper House of the Parliament.

On March 7 this year, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi handed Saeed a 10-year sentence in a May 9 riots case.

The last hearing of this case was scheduled last Tuesday, rescheduled to Wednesday, due to the blockade of roads to and from Constitution Avenue where the ECP headquarters is located, following the arrival of a top-level Iranian delegation in Islamabad. The case was finally rescheduled for Tuesday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026