ECP to hear references against 2 PTI MPs on 21st

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will hear the disqualification references against two PTI members of parliament (MPs), Senator Saifullah Abro and Sohail Sultan, on October 21.

According to the cause list issued by the commission, the reference under Clause (2) of Article 63 of the Constitution has been filed by Senator Shahadat Awan of PPP and one Majid Mahmood against Senator Abro.

Similarly, the reference for the disqualification of Sohail Sultan, a member of the National Assembly (NA-4) under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, has been filed by Nasrullah Khan, a resident of Swat, from where Sohail was elected with the support of PTI in the general elections on February 8.

The commission will conduct a preliminary hearing for which notices have been issued to the parties concerned. It is pertinent to note that Sohail Sultan is one of the 39 members of National Assembly who were notified as PTI lawmakers by the ECP on July 24 while partially implementing the Supreme Court’s judgment on reserved seats.

The references against these two PTI legislators have been scheduled for hearing soon after being received from Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani and NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

The reference seeking the disqualification of Senator Saifullah Abro under Article 63(2) of the Constitution was filed with the Senate Secretariat by PPP Senator Shahadat Awan and Majid Mahmood from Islamabad. The PTI senator from Sindh has been accused of concealing his income and lacking the required experience to qualify for a technocrat seat.

The firebrand Abro, who hails from Larkana, was elected senator on a technocrat seat in 2021 on the PTI ticket. It has been alleged in the reference against him that the documents he submitted about his experience were misleading. It contends that the minimum requirement for the technocrat seat is 20 years of relevant experience, which the complainants claim Abro does not possess. The reference also alleges that he submitted bogus documents related to multibillion-rupee projects, including the Larkana Flyover and Metro Bus Project in Multan.

Moreover, the senator is accused of deliberately withholding information about his children and failing to disclose income generated from his agricultural land.

Likewise, the NA speaker has recently forwarded a reference seeking the disqualification of Sohail Sultan, a lawmaker from Swat. The reference alleges that Sohail Sultan provided false information to the ECP regarding his employment status.

It claims that the PTI legislator held the position of KP deputy attorney general before his election, which is a violation of election law, barring government employees from contesting elections until two years after their retirement.

The complaint has demanded the immediate disqualification of Sohail Sultan and called for swift action by the speaker, who has forwarded it to the ECP, seeking legal action to assess the validity of claims and determine Sultan’s disqualification status.

Meanwhile, the ECP has scheduled pleas of three local MNAs of the PMLN for a change of election tribunal for hearing on October 17, as per the cause list. The hearing will be held on the submission of replies from the opposing side and for final arguments.