ECP reserves verdict in Yousaf Raza Gillani disqualification case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved its verdict on a plea seeking disqualification of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani over a video scandal of his son Ali Haider Gillani, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

A four-member ECP bench, headed by Punjab member Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, heard the disqualification case against Yousaf Raza Gillani over a video scandal of his son Ali Haider Gillani.

During today’s proceedings, the PTI lawyer, Maleka Bukhari said: “Ali Haider Gillani accepted about giving teaching to lawmakers how to waste votes.”

The case

PTI leaders Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Bokhari, Aliya Hamza Malik and Kanwal Shauzab moved the electoral body against the two Gillani’s, last March.

Gillani, the joint opposition candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), defeated the then Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Islamabad’s general seat in last year’s March 3 Senate election.

Yousaf Raza Gillani secured 169 votes while Shaikh got 164 votes and seven votes were rejected out of total 340 votes cast. PTI-led ruling coalition then had 180 seats compared to 160 seats of opposition in 342-seat NA.

A night before the Senate elections, a video of Gillani’s son, Ali, wherein he was seen allegedly buying votes in favour of his father, went viral.