LHC moved against ECP's delay in notifying PTI MPAs on reserved seats

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has approached Lahore High Court (LHC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for delaying notification for the success of five PTI MPAs on reserved seats in Punjab after they fell vacant over the disqualification of dissident party lawmakers in Punjab Assembly.

The petition filed through Advocate Azhar Siddique pleaded that the ECP had de-seated five members on reserved seats for changing their loyalties and the commission is now constitutionally bound to notify other members of the party.

It said that the ECP has been asked to notify the members in a written letter but no progress has been made so far. “The ECP is a violation of the Constitution and the court should intervene and direct it to notify new members on the reserved seats,” he said.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had de-seated 25 dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs who voted for PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz Sharif in Punjab chief minister election.

The election body had reserved its verdict on the reference seeking disqualification of 25 dissident PTI MPAs of the Punjab Assembly. The reference against deviant members was filed by Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

The dissident Punjab lawmakers include Abdul Aleem Khan, Nazir Ahmed Chohan, Uzma Kardar, Faisal Hayat, Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangha, Saeed Akbar Khan, Mohammad Ajmal, Mohammad Amin Zulqernain, Malik Nauman Langrial, Mohammad Salman, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, Mohammad Tahir, Aisha Nawaz, Sajida Yousaf, Haroon Imran Gill, Malik Asad Ali, Ijaz Masih, Mohammad Sabtain Raza, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa, Mian Khalid Mehmood and Mehar Mohammad Aslam.

The ECP decision comes days after SC’s decision on the interpretation of Article 63 (A), announcing that defective votes will not be counted.