'Disqualification of Ali Amin Gandapur's brother to be challenged in SC'

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that the disqualification verdict of Ali Amin Gandapur’s brother Umar Amin Gandapur will be challenged in the Supreme Court (SC), ARY News reported.

Fawad Chaudhry said in a Twitter message that Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) faced a clear defeat in Dera Ismail Khan local government (LG) elections. He criticised that the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was disqualified after getting victorious in the polls on the basis of electioneering by his brother.

The federal minister said that such decisions spread controversies against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

عمر امین گنڈاپور کا فیصلہ سپریم کورٹ میں چیلنج کریںنگے، واضع طور پرDIKمیں مولانا فضل الرحمن کو شکست کا سامنا تھا ایسے میں تحریک انصاف کے امیدوار کو نااھل قرار دے دیا گیا اور وہ بھی اس گراؤنڈ پر کہ ان کا بھائ انتخابی مہم کیوں چلا رہا ہے،ایسے فیصلے الیکشن کمیشن کو متنازعہ بناتے ہیں

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 7, 2022

Earlier in the day, in a major blow to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur’s brother Umar Amin Gandapur, a contender for Dera city mayor slot, for violation of code of conduct.

An ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja announced this verdict.

The commission imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on the federal minister for violation of election code of conduct and restrained him from addressing public rallies during the election campaign for the second phase of local bodies election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The ECP ruled that the minister could visit the city but not take part in any political activity.

His brother Umar Amin is the PTI candidate for the Dera Ismail Khan city mayor slot.

On Friday, the ECP had served a notice on JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother Zia-ur-Rehman for flouting election code of conduct. Rehman, a government official, was served the notice for his participation in the election campaign.

The commission restrained the district administration from allowing JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to hold a public gathering on February 5 and 7.