ECP dismisses PML-N plea, declares its Senate nominees as Independent candidates

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz plea and declared its party candidates for upcoming Senate Elections as Independent a day after Supreme Court ruling in Election Act 2017.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ineligible to continue as president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for being a disqualified person declared by a court of law and declared null and void all actions taken by the former prime minister in capacity of party leader.

The apex court also ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to denotify Nawaz Sharif as president of the PML-N.

The electoral body also decided not to change the date for Senate elections, scheduled on March 03.

According to Geo News, following the SC decision, PML-N made a crucial decision and issued Senate tickets to the candidates signed by party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, who arrived at ECP office and inked the forms of aspirants.

However, ECP held a meeting, presided over by Chief Election Commission Sardar Raza, and deliberated on the legal aspects of the plea submitted by PML-N chairman Rajaz Zafarul Haq.

The Electoral body dismissed PML-N chairman’s plea and the tickets he issued to the party candidates. The ECP declared the N-League candidates as Independent.

The ECP said, all the candidates who had filed their nomination papers on PML-N tickets now can contest elections in Independent capacity.

The ECP also made it clear the scheduled time for Senate Elections could also not be changed.