ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fixed the case against Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi, and Shehar Naz Omar Ayub Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidate for the recently held by-election on a National Assembly’s seat in Haripur, for hearing on Wednesday.
The cause list issued by the ECP on Monday revealed that the electoral body issued notices to the CM KP, Babar Nawaz Khan, the petitioner and returned candidate for NA-18 Haripur, and Shehar Naz Omar Ayub, the wife of former NA opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan.
The cases involving alleged code of conduct violations on the Punjab Assembly’s seat, PP-269 Muzaffargarh, and NA-185 Muzaffargarh, are also fixed for hearing on Wednesday, as per the cause list.
The NA-18 had fallen vacant following Omar’s disqualification at the hands of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in a case registered in connection with the 9 May riots.
The case was scheduled to be heard on 4 December but was delisted due to the unavailability of the ECP bench.
The ECP’s five-member full bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, is hearing this case.
On 20 November, the ECP said that it took notice of CM KP’s public speech in Havelian, a tehsil of district Abbottabad, delivered a day earlier on 19 November.
The poll entity accused CM Afridi of threatening the district administration, police, and electoral officials assigned to hold the NA-18 by-election, which was held on 23 November.
In the last hearing of this case on 25 November, the ECP bench granted the CM KP exemption from physical appearance for the remaining hearing and adjourned the case for 4 December.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025