ISLAMABAD: The electoral body has rescheduled, from today (Tuesday) to Thursday, a reference against yet another lawmaker linked to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking his disqualification, this time over an alleged constitutional violation.
The cause list issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday revealed that the reference against Sohail Sultan, seeking his disqualification under Article 63 of the Constitution, was rescheduled for hearing due to the unavailability of the bench hearing this case.
Sultan is accused of violating Article 63(1)(K) of the Constitution that bars public office-holders from being elected or chosen to the Parliament for two years after their retirement or resignation from the service.
This article provides that a person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as a parliamentarian – if they are in the service of Pakistan or of any statutory body or any entity which is owned or controlled by the government or in which the government has a controlling share or interest, unless a period of two years has elapsed since they ceased to be in such service.
Sultan was elected to National Assembly’s seat NA-4 in 2024 general election, in alleged violation of the aforesaid article, when he was reportedly the advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The reference against him is sent to the ECP by Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq under Article 63(2), moved by one Nasrullah Khan.
In recent months, 16 PTI-linked lawmakers have been de-seated by the ECP following their convictions by the courts.
These lawmakers comprise eight NA members, six Punjab Assembly members, and two 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) and Ejaz Chaudhary (Senate) are among the disqualified legislators.
Except Dasti, the other 15 lawmakers were de-seated by the ECP keeping in view their convictions by the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in the cases related to 9 May riots.
Dasti was disqualified by the electoral body on the charges of having fake educational credentials.
Meanwhile, a case against Abid Sher Ali from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) was also rescheduled for hearing, from today till Thursday, due to the bench’s unavailability. He is accused of violation of ballot secrecy during by-election on Punjab Assembly’s seat PP-116 Faisalabad held on 23 November last year.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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