PHC Stop ECP From Taking Further Steps Against Disqualified PTI Lawmakers

High Court Issues Reserved Verdict on Petitions by NA and Senate Opposition Leaders

• PHC gives temporary relief to PTI lawmakers disqualified by the ECP.
• A reserved ruling will be given later on the matters put forward by Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz.
• ECP removed nine PTI lawmakers from the list of MPs after convicting them in the May 9 cases.

Peshawar: On Wednesday, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) restrained the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from taking any further action against disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of parliament.

In its two-page order, the court granted temporary relief to the PTI lawmakers who had approached the court, challenging the ECP’s disqualification orders based on their convictions in connection with the May 9 riots.

The PHC, while announcing its reserved interim order, issued notices to the ECP and other relevant stakeholders. The case has been adjourned until August 20.

The court observed that the convictions had been issued by the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad, and noted that the petitioners were not present when the verdicts were announced.

The petitioners argued they were planning to file appeals in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and claimed they were disqualified without being given the opportunity to defend themselves, based on legal advice they received.

On the same day, opposition leaders from both houses of parliament — Senator Shibli Faraz and National Assembly member Omar Ayub Khan — also filed petitions challenging the ECP’s disqualification orders, calling them unlawful.

Peshawar – The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from taking any further action against nine PTI lawmakers who were recently disqualified following their convictions in May 9-related cases.

The ECP had issued the disqualifications just a day earlier, removing five National Assembly members, one senator, and three members of the Punjab Assembly from office. The disqualified MNAs include Omar Ayub (NA-18, Haripur), Rai Hassan Nawaz (NA-143, Sahiwal-III), Zartaj Gul (NA-185, DG Khan-II), Rai Haider Ali (NA-96, Faisalabad-II), and Sahibzada Hamid Raza (NA-104, Faisalabad-X).

From the Punjab Assembly, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal (PP-73, Sargodha-III), Junaid Afzal (PP-98, Faisalabad-I), and Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203, Sahiwal-VI) were also de-notified.

The disqualification orders came after a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad handed 10-year prison sentences to several PTI leaders in connection with the May 9 violence that broke out after the arrest of Imran Khan. The ATC convicted 108 people and acquitted 77 others, including Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro.

Interestingly, despite her conviction, Zartaj Gul was granted protective bail by the PHC, giving her time to appeal the verdict without facing immediate arrest.

Zartaj Gul told the court she plans to appeal her conviction in the Lahore High Court and asked for protective bail so she wouldn’t be arrested in the meantime.

After hearing the arguments, the court granted her bail.