The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday formally de-notified Abdul Latif Chitrali as a Member of the National Assembly from NA-1 (Chitral Upper cum Chitral Lower) after declaring him disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution.
According to an official notification issued by the ECP, the disqualification came in light of the commission’s order dated July 29, 2025. The notification stated that as a result of the disqualification, Abdul Latif’s National Assembly seat has become vacant.
Chitrali was elected to the lower house of Parliament from Chitral in the 2024 general elections.
His disqualification stems from a conviction by an anti-terrorism court earlier this year for delivering hate speech during a protest in Chitral. The court handed him a five-year sentence under Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, a conviction upheld by the Peshawar High Court.
Under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, a person is disqualified from being elected or remaining a member of Parliament if convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to more than two years in prison, unless a period of five years has lapsed since the release.
The ECP’s decision follows weeks of legal scrutiny and comes as part of its constitutional mandate to ensure that elected representatives fulfil the requirements set out in the Constitution.
The de-notification paves the way for a by-election in NA-1, though no schedule has yet been announced.
The development comes a day after the ECP disqualified three PTI lawmakers - Senator Ijaz Chaudhry, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar and MNA Ahmed Chattha - and declared their seats vacant.
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