Omar seeks time in order to contest disqualification reference against him

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) office-bearer Omar Ayub Khan has sought time from the poll body for contesting the disqualification reference against him, moved by a PML-N member, which the electoral entity has accepted.

In the hearing of the disqualification reference on Wednesday, the PTI leader appeared before a bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

Khan requested the bench to be given time till July for making preparations to contest the reference.

In this context, he cited his official engagements as the NA opposition leader and NA finance panel member in the wake of upcoming federal budget. The bench accepted Khan’s request, and adjourned the case till July 1.

The reference seeks Khan’s disqualification over alleged financial corruption and misrepresentation of facts in electoral documents.

The bench adjourned another case till 24 June, filed by the same petitioner; Babar Nawaz Khan from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), regarding alleged rigging in NA-18, the seat Omar won in last year general elections. Omar outrivaled Babar with a margin of over 80,000 votes.

Notably, the PML-N member moved the petition related to NA-18 in the ECP after the expiry of the 90-day stipulated deadline to file this petition last year. Yet, the ECP admitted this petition and initiated the proceedings.

Speaking to the media after the disqualification reference hearing, the NA opposition leader said, the speaker NA sent reference to the ECP out of politically motivated reasons. “The speaker sent this reference without even using his brain,” Khan said.

The Article 63(2) provides that if any question arises whether a legislator has become disqualified from being a member, the speaker or chairman (of the legislature concerned), shall, unless they decide that no such question has arisen, refer the question to ECP within 30 days, and if the speaker/chairman fails to do so within the aforesaid period, the question shall be deemed to have been referred to the ECP.

The Article 63(3) provides that the ECP shall decide the question within 90 days from its receipt, and if it is of the opinion that the member has become disqualified, the member shall cease to be a lawmaker and their seat shall become vacant.

Apart from the NA opposition leader, cases against his two cousins and PTI leaders; Akbar Ayub Khan and Arshad Ayub Khan, both of whom are members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, are pending in the ECP allegedly out of politically motivated reasons.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025