Kulsoom Nawaz: PTI seeks CEC's clarification over delay in taking oath

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Thursday demanded chief election commissioner (CEC) to explain Election Commission of Pakistan's position in Kulsoom Nawaz's delay in taking oath as Member of National Assembly (MNA) following her victory in NA-120 by-polls some three months back. Begum Kulsoom Nawaz contested the NA-120 by-polls in September last after her husband, Nawaz Sharif, was sent packing by Supreme Court in Panama Leaks case.
The disqualified prime minister's wife left the country to be treated for throat cancer in London the day her nomination papers were submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and her daughter, Maryam Safdar, campaigned for the by-poll on her behalf. In a letter written to CEC former Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan, PTI Spokesman Fawad Chaudhry demanded to clarify the reason behind the inaction of the commission against delay in taking oath by the spouse of the disqualified prime minister.
He also asked the CEC to elaborate what legal action can be taken against a candidate who has not sworn in as Member of National Assembly despite winning an election nearly three months ago. "We want the CEC to clarify what is the procedure if a candidate fails to take oath of his/her office despite winning election-can a candidate be de-notified and can the ECP hold fresh elections on the vacated seat?" he questioned.
The PTI spokesman also asked if there is any procedure with the commission under which it ensures that only healthy candidates contest elections in the country. "The ECP needs to answer these questions so that legal intricacies regarding the controversy can be cleared to masses," he concluded.