- Omar, Shibli Faraz calls ECP order “illegal”.
- PTI leaders call on the right to cancel the ECP order.
- Zartaj Yellow gets protective bail against PHC.
Top Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including opposition leaders in the Senate and the National Assembly Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub Khan, have moved them in the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the Pakistan Election Commission (ECP), who decreases them after violations in May 9.
PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz have filed petitions in PHC against the election watchdog’s decision, which declared them unjustified to the public office.
In separate pleas, the senior PTI leaders maintained that the ECP decision is illegal and pleaded by the court to overthrow the order.
The move comes a day after the ECP de-notified nine PTI legislators in their beliefs in the cases on May 9.
These disqualified include five members of the National Assembly, one senator and three members of the Punjab assembly.
The list includes Omar Ayub (MNA from NA-18 Haripur), Rai Hassan Nawaz (MNA from NA-143 Sahiwal-III), Zartaj Yellow (MNA from NA-185 DG Khan-II), Rai Haider Ali (MNA from Na-96 Faisalabad-II), and Sahibzada Hamid Raza (MNA from NA-104444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 FAISALABAD-X) from Parliament’s lower house.
Punjab assembly members Muhammad Ansar Iqbal (MPA from PP-73 Sargodha-III) Junaid Afzal (MPA from PP-98 Faisalabad-I), and Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal (MPa from the PP-203 Sahiwal-Vi) were also de-notified.
The disqualification came days after a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad sentenced several PTI leaders to 10 years in prison each in connection with cases registered in the wake of May 9, 2023, violence.
In his judgment, the special ATC sentenced 108 individuals of the total 185 accused and acquitted 77 others, including former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi and Khayal Kastro.
Meanwhile, Peshawar High Court (PHC) has given PTI leader Zartaj Gul’s protective bail in Faisalabad in Faisalabad.
In her petition, yellow maintained that she intends to submit an appeal to Lahore High Court (LHC) and seeks protective bail to make sure she can do it without fear of immediate arrest.
Subsequently, after hearing arguments, the court awarded protective bail to the former minister.
‘Gohar is beating out on ECP’
In a speech with journalists today, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan strongly criticized the ECP and defended the recent nationwide protests and claimed that public support remains firm behind the party’s basic leader Imran Khan.
Gohar threw the ECP’s decision and said the election watch dog does not have the legal authority to issue direct disqualification messages.
“This is the first election commission to operate according to a legal stay,” said Gohar.
To describe the ECP disqualifications as “illegal,” Barrister Gohar said that PTI would challenge the Election Commission on all legal forums.
While talking about PTI’s 5th August Protest, Gohar said the protests were held in 170 districts, Tehsils and trade union councils across the country, and people showed their love for Imran Khan.
