MNA disqualification: PHC suspends by-election process in NA-1 Chitral

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Wednesday suspended the by-election process in NA-1 Chitral following a petition challenging the disqualification of MNA Abdul Latif Chitrali.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad, heard the petition, issued notices to the relevant parties and sought their responses.

Counsel for Abdul Latif Chitrali, Moazzam Butt, informed the court that his client was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) based on a sentence imposed by an Anti-terrorism Court. He noted that an appeal against the sentence was already under consideration in the Islamabad High Court, and the petitioner had surrendered and was in custody. Butt argued that the ECP’s announcement of the by-election schedule for NA-1 Chitral was premature and illegal, urging the court to annul it.

The ECP’s Additional Director General Law, Khurram Shehzad, informed the court that the commission would present its arguments the following week. The court subsequently halted the by-election process in NA-1 Chitral until further orders.