Pakistan
Election Commission de-seats 25 PTI Punjab MPAs for defection
ISLAMABAD:- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has de-seated 25 dissident PTI Punjab MPAs for defecting the party.
The 25 dissident PTI members against whom the disqualification reference was filed include Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangha, Saeed Akbar Khan, Mohammad Ajmal, Abdul Aleem Khan, Nazir Ahmed Chohan, Mohammad Amin Zulqernain, Malik Nauman Langrial, Mohammad Salman, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, Mohammad Tahir, Aisha Nawaz, Sajida Yousaf, Haroon Imran Gill, Uzma Kardar, Malik Asad Ali, Ijaz Masih, Mohammad Sabtain Raza, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa, Mian Khalid Mehmood, Mehar Mohammad Aslam and Faisal Hayat.
During the last hearing, the counsel for the dissident members of the provincial assembly argued that the MPAs were unaware of the directions given by the parliamentary party about voting in favour of Pervaiz Elahi for Punjab’s chief minister.
On which, the PTI counsel, Syed Ali Zafar said, “By taking the defence and claiming they were not aware of parliamentary party directions regarding who to vote for in the election of the chief minister when the entire world and the nation knew about it,
and the same was being discussed in talk shows and reported in the newspapers, is like saying that the MPAs were, though awake, yet sleeping all this time,” he added.
The counsel claimed that meeting of the parliamentary party was held on April 1, its decision was reported in the press the next day, that notices to all MPAs of the Punjab Assembly were issued on April 2 by the chief whip and another notice was sent on April 4 by PTI General Secretary Asad Umar, that another meeting was held in April in which the same decision was taken, and that a notice was sent on April 7 for the third time.
It may be recalled that the above mentioned provincial lawmakers had voted in favor of Hamza Shahbaz in the election of Punjab Chief Minister. He received a total of 197 votes while 186 votes are required for a simple majority. Since these 25 provincial members are no longer part of the House, Hamza has lost his majority.
Reacting on the decsion of ECP regarding the deviant Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of Punjab Assembly (MPAs), Pervaiz Elahi said ECP’s decision is a lesson for people who change loyalties.
“First of all, I would like to thank the Almighty. Thanks to our team of lawyers and Chief Election Commissioner, who played key role to save the democracy,” he said.
