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In a significant setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party founded by Imran Khan, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has de-notified nine PTI lawmakers, including prominent leaders such as Senator Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub Khan, Geo News reported.
The decision comes after an anti-terrorism court convicted these lawmakers in cases related to the May 9 violence. The de-notified lawmakers include five members of the National Assembly: Omar Ayub from NA-18 Haripur, Rai Hassan Nawaz from NA-143 Sahiwal-III, Zartaj Gul from NA-185 DG Khan-II, Rai Haider Ali from NA-96 Faisalabad-II, and Sahibzada Hamid Raza from NA-104 Faisalabad-X, as per Geo News. Additionally, three members of the Punjab Assembly were also de-notified: Muhammad Ansar Iqbal from PP-73 Sargodha-III, Junaid Afzal from PP-98 Faisalabad-I, and Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal from PP-203 Sahiwal-VI. Senator Shibli Faraz was the only senator to be de-notified. According to Geo News, the ECP's decision is based on the convictions of these lawmakers by an anti-terrorism court, which sentenced them to imprisonment. According to Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, a person shall be disqualified from being elected if they have been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years. The lawmakers in question were sentenced to 10 years in prison each in connection with a case registered after the May 9, 2023, violence In its verdict, the special ATC sentenced 108 individuals of the total 185 accused, which also includes Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) chief MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who has been handed 10 years imprisonment. The back-to-back verdicts added to the legal woes of the former ruling party, which is holding protest demonstrations in different parts of the country to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan, who completed two years in prison on August 5. The May 9, 2023, events refer to the violent protests that broke out in several parts of the country following the arrest of the PTI founder and saw attacks on public properties and military installations, including Corps Commander House Lahore, also known as Jinnah House. The riots were triggered by the arrest of ex-premier Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a graft case. Several PTI leaders and workers were released on bail after their arrests, while many still remain behind bars. The deposed prime minister, who was ousted from power via the opposition's no-confidence motion in April 2022, has been behind bars since August 2023 as he was facing a slew of charges ranging from corruption to terrorism. (ANI)
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