Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) through an application to de-notify Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as a party cannot be registered with the name of a disqualified person. "Since Nawaz Sharif has been disqualified and the party is registered with his name, so it can no longer be registered with the Election Commission," the application submitted by Advocate Makhdoom Muhammad Niaz and the PAT read.
"The PML-N should be de-notified until the Supreme Court July 28, 2017 verdict stands suspended through a review petition or any appeal," the application said. The application further said that neither a disqualified person can preside over a meeting of the party nor participate in it as a member, but Nawaz Sharif is still participating in meetings of the party and presiding over them as well.
"The PML-N in its current form cannot remain enrolled in the Election Commission," the application said. The petitioners urged the Election Commission to take notice of the issue and bar Nawaz Sharif from presiding over meetings of the party.
Last week, Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as the head of the PML-N. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, issued a short order on petitions filed against Nawaz for holding the party position after his disqualification in the Panama Papers case. In its five-page order read by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, the court declared that any person who is disqualified under the Article 62 or 63 of the Constitution is barred from holding the position of "party head" by whatever name called.
"All steps taken, orders passed, directions given and documents issued by Nawaz Sharif as party head after his disqualification on July 28, 2017 are declared to have never been taken, passed, given or issued in the eyes of the law," the court said in its verdict. The court also directed the ECP "to remove name of Nawaz Sharif as president/party head of PML-N from all relevant record(s)."
Earlier on Monday, a delegation of parliamentary parties held a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza to discuss the issue of delimitation of constituencies and registration of female voters. The chief election commissioner informed the delegation that the process of delimitation of constituencies is in progress as per law and this will be completed in first week of May this year. He said the Election Commission has been taking all necessary measures under the law to hold fair and free general elections.