ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesdaypostponed the announcement of its decision on a petition seekingdisqualification of 25 dissident MPAs of PTI from Punjab.
A three member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SikandarSultan Raja reserved the verdict on Tuesday after hearing arguments fromboth sides. It was expected to issue the ruling today (Wednesday).
Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi had filed moved the ECP against theseMPAs under Article 63(A) of the Constitution after they voted in favour ofPML-N’s candidate Hamza Shahbaz Sharif in the election for the chiefminister.
During Tuesday’s hearing, counsel for PTI dissident lawmakers said that hisclients did not receive any invitation for the April 1 parliamentary partymeeting, adding that show-cause notices were issued to only two lawmakers.
He further said that the party did not give a chance to the rebel partylawmakers to explain their stance.
He agreed with the PTI lawyer’s argument that “floor crossing is cancer”but added that dictatorship in the party is also dictatorship.
The counsel for dissident PTI MPAs added that his clients could not bedisqualified even if the instructions issued by the PTI chief Imran Khanwere correct.
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He noted that the legislators were asked to attend the session for electionof chief minister and vote for PTI-backed candidate Pervez Elahi, and thatthe MPAs were free to vote independently once Elahi boycotted the election.
PTI counsel Ali Zafar rejected the arguments as sleepwalking defence. Hesaid that the whole nation was aware of the situation but it was strangethat the dissident lawmakers remained ignorant.
He said that all MPAs got notices on April 2 and later PTI SecretaryGeneral Asad Umar sent another notice to them on April 4.
Zafar said that the show-causes notices were also issued to the dissidentparty lawmakers after the election for the chief minister but they did notappear before the party committee to defend their move.
The dissident lawmakers include Abdul Aleem Khan, Raja Sagheer Ahmed, MalikGhulam Rasool Sangha, Saeed Akbar Khan, Mohammad Ajmal, Nazir Ahmed Chohan,Mohammad Amin Zulqernain, Malik Nauman Langrial, Mohammad Salman, ZawarHussain Warraich, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, MohammadTahir, Aisha Nawaz, Sajida Yousaf, Haroon Imran Gill, Uzma Kardar, MalikAsad Ali, Ijaz Masih, Mohammad Sabtain Raza, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa, MianKhalid Mehmood, Faisal Hayat and Mehar Mohammad Aslam.
