Dissident PTI MPAs likely to be deseated in Punjab

LAHORE: 26 dissident Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are likely to be deseated in Punjab, citing sources, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Sources said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will begin its action from May 6 regarding the PTI turncoats, whereas, the no-trust motion against Punjab Assembly’s Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is also expected to be failed.

The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has faced a new trouble after filing a no-trust motion against the Punjab Assembly’s speaker.

PML-N will now require 186 lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly to make the no-trust motion successful, whereas, the deseating of the PTI turncoats will reduce the PML-N’s numbers to 171.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reserved a verdict on the jurisdiction of a disqualification reference against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) dissident Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Noor Alam Khan.

A three-member bench headed by the chief election commissioner (CEC) of the election commission conducted the hearing of the disqualification reference against 20 dissident PTI MNAs today.

During the hearing, Noor Alam Khan’s lawyer Barrister Gohar appeared before the ECP and raised objections over the disqualification reference with the reference to Article 63-A1.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel Faisal Chaudhry argued that it was an irresponsible move of the Parliament not to complete the election commission’s appointments, whereas, Article 218 gives special powers to the institution.

The counsel argued that ECP’s quorum is comprised of three members and it is an unconstitutional step to raise questions over the jurisdiction of the ECP actions in the case. He added that ECP has powers to decide on disqualification references.

Later, the election commission reserved a verdict on the jurisdiction of the ECP regarding the disqualification reference against Noor Alam Khan.

Moreover, the CEC has decided to club disqualification cases of 20 dissident PTI MNAs and give the verdict within 30 days. It may be noted here that the former National Assembly (NA) speaker had sought de-seating of its 20 turncoats in his disqualification references sent to the ECP.