The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified nine senators and assembly members, including the opposition leader of the Senate, Shibli Faraz, and the opposition leader of the National Assembly, Omer Ayub.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued an order to the anti-terrorism court of Faisalabad to declare these members’ seats vacant. On 31 July, the anti-terrorism court sentenced 196 PTI leaders and workers to 10 years in jail in three cases related to 9 May, including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul.
The members disqualified by the election commission are:
- Senator Syed Shibli Faraz (Senate Opposition Leader)
- Omer Ayub Khan, MNA (NA-18 Haripur, Opposition leader, National Assembly)
- Rai Haider Ali Khan, MNA (II-NA-96 Faisalabad)
- Sahabzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, MNA (X-NA104 Faisalabad)
- Rai Hassan Nawaz, MNA (II-NA-143 Sahiwal)
- Zartaj Gul (II-NA-185 DG Khan)
- Muhammad Insar Iqbal, MNA (II-PP-73 Sargodha)
- Junaid Afzal Sahi, MPA (I-PP-98 Faisalabad)
- Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, MPA (VI-PP-203 Sahiwal)
According to Article 63(1) of the constitution, if any member gets more than 2 years’ sentence for moral turpitude, then he/she is unqualified to remain in any public position. The Election Commission has also told us that the seats of these members are now vacant, and the schedule will be provided according to law in by-elections.
Also read: Pakistan Muslim League announces restructuring and intra-party elections
