Court suspends ECP’s notice to CM Ali Amin Gandapur

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notice summoning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur in assets case, ARY News reported.

A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Muhammad Faheem Wali suspended the ECP notice.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel informed the court that a similar notice was issued by the ECP which was suspended the PHC.

Justice SM Attique Shah questioned how a notice was re-issued after the court had already suspended it. He remarked that the petitioner’s lawyer should have filed a contempt of court petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan for their actions.

The lawyer responded that there was a slight difference between the previous and current notices. He clarified that the notice issued by the ECP on November 20 was a fresh notice.

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During the previous hearing, Ali Amin Gandapur’s lawyer told the court that it is no longer the authority of ECP to ask for the previous years assets’ details, adding that all the details were available on the website of ECP.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP had issued a notice to KP CM to submit details of his assets in 2023.

In response, CM Gandapur moved the PHC to challenge the issuance of the ECP notice. He filed the writ petition through his lawyer Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah Advocate. The ECP was made a respondent in the petition.

The petition said Ali Amin Gandapur contested the last general election from provincial assembly constituency PK-113 and was elected Member Provincial Assembly and he is now serving as the chief minister of the province.