ISLAMABAD: The electoral entity has fixed cases on 24th June against five legislators, who belong to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on the petitions mainly moved by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) members, seeking to unseat the said lawmakers.
These legislators are: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, his two cousins — Akbar Ayub Khan and Arshad Ayub Khan — both of whom are Members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly — Malik Adeel Iqbal, another Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) in KP legislature, and PTI Lahore chapter President Sheikh Imtiaz Mehmood, who is Member of Punjab Assembly.
All the five legislators had won their respective seats in last year’s general elections.
Of them, Iqbal had to contest the general election as an independent candidate, and Mahmood had to contest the general poll on Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) ticket — against the backdrop of the PTI election symbol controversy.
The reference against Iqbal seeks his disqualification from Punjab Assembly allegedly over having Canadian nationality, an allegation Mahmood denies.
The cases against all other four legislators seek re-polling in the respective constituencies, alleging foul play in the general elections.
Jamshaid Dasti is another Member National Assembly (MNA) who belongs to PTI against whom cases are pending over allegedly having fake educational credentials, and alleged discrepancies in his wealth statement filed with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Dasti also had to contest the last year’s general election on SIC ticket in the contest of PTI election symbol issue.
Apart from that, the hearing of reference against the NA opposition leader, seeking his disqualification from NA over alleged financial corruption and alleged misrepresentation of related facts in the electoral documents, is scheduled in the ECP on July 01.
Speaking to the media after the disqualification reference hearing held on 4 June, the NA opposition leader said, Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq sent reference to the ECP against him out of politically motivated reasons.
“The speaker sent this reference without even using his brain,” Khan deplored.
The Article 63(2) of the Constitution of Pakistan 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.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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