Disqualification reference: ECP bench rejects plea of PTI-linked lawmaker

ISLAMABAD: The electoral body has again rejected the plea of a lawmaker linked to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seeking two weeks, this time to file reply on the maintainability of a reference that seeks his disqualification over an alleged constitutional violation, giving him a week time in this regard.

A three-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Friday, resumed the hearing of the reference from the previous day, seeking disqualification of PTI-linked Member National Assembly (MNA) Sohail Sultan moved by one Nasrullah Khan.

During the proceedings, Advocate Babar Awan appeared before the bench, and informed that he was the defendant’s counsel. Awan requested the bench to be given two-week time to file a detailed reply regarding the maintainability of this case.

Heading the bench, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja responded that the defence lawyer’s request could not be entertained on the grounds that the matter was time-barred. However, the bench gave the defence side a week to file reply, and adjourned the case till 16 January.

Earlier on Thursday, the same bench had rejected Sultan’s plea to be given two weeks to engage a counsel and prepare his defence in the reference, giving him one day to engage a lawyer.

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.

Sultan was elected to 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 the relevant law.

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.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026