ECP adjourns disqualification reference against PTI MPAs till Monday

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has adjourned a hearing of a disqualification reference against 25 rebel MPAs of the PTI in Punjab Assembly for Monday and directed Imran Khan to submit his response to replies submitted by the estranged party lawmakers, ARY NEWS reported.

During the hearing, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja asked if a signed copy of Imran Khan’s response to PTI MPAs’ replies and an affidavit has been submitted.

To this, the PTI counsel assured him that it would be submitted today.

Earlier during the hearing, PTI counsel Faysal Chaudhry concluded his arguments over the disqualification of the PTI MPAs -who voted in favour of Hamza Shehbaz- after the latter submitted their responses before the commission.

Chaudhry said that the rebel MPAs attended a fake election of the chief minister at a private hotel and were issued show-cause notices on April 07.

“They have even not denied voting for the opposition’s candidate and deliberately damaged the standing of the party,” he said and added that even religion does not permit such treason and those who flouted the Constitution do not deserve any empathy.

It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi had sent a reference against dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), seeking their lifetime disqualification for violating party discipline.

PTI chief whip, on behalf of former prime minister Imran Khan, handed over the reference to Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. The disqualification reference against the PTI members has been moved under Article-63 of the Constitution.