ISLAMABAD: Two days after disqualifying Omar Ayub Khan, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, from his legislative membership, the electoral entity, Thursday, listed a reference for hearing next week, seeking his disqualification from NA on a different count.
This hearing would be resumed by an ECP bench on the coming Tuesday, suggests a cause list issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Babar Nawaz Khan, who belongs to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), seeks disqualification of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader over alleged financial corruption, and misrepresentation of facts in the electoral documents.
Babar is also a petitioner against Omar in another case in the ECP seeking a vote recount on National Assembly’s seat NA-18 Haripur.
The ECP reserved its verdict in this case on July 9 that is yet to be announced.
Omar outrivalled Babar with a margin of over 80,000 votes in NA-18 during last year’s general elections.
Notably, the PML-N member moved the reference and the petition related to NA-18 in the ECP after the expiry of the 90-day stipulated deadline.
Yet, the ECP admitted the reference as well as this petition, and initiated proceedings against the PTI leader.
The reference is sent to the ECP by NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
Article 63(2) of the Constitution 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.
Earlier on Tuesday, the electoral body disqualified nine PTI lawmakers, including Omar, from their legislative memberships following their convictions by an anti-terrorism court related to 9 May riots.
The total number of PTI legislators who have been disqualified in three weeks as a consequence of court verdicts has reached 14.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025