*ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday rejected the PTI’s reference against its defecting members of the National Assembly. .*
Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja read the verdict, which was earlier reserved by the election commission’s three-member panel.
“No substantial evidence given against defecting members in the reference,” according to the decision.
Deputy Speaker National Assembly had sent a reference to the election commission seeking disqualification of 20 members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the PTI’s plea seeking to submit more material with the reference.
A three-member panel of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commission Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case.
The counsel for the dissident members had objected over the PTI’s petition for adding more material with the reference.
“I will file appeal against the election commission’s decision,” PTI’s counsel Faisal Chaudhry said while seeking the copy of the election commission decision.
“In absence of the evidence I feel myself incapable. It seems we are not necessary. Some things were not come to the record in actual sense,” Faisal Chaudhry said.
“My case has become prejudiced,” PTI counsel added.
The commission reserved its verdict over the disqualification reference of the PTI’s defecting members of the National Assembly.