PTI MNA disqualification: PHC asks NA speaker, others to submit reply by November 7

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday restrained the Election Commission of Pakistan from further proceedings regarding the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member National Assembly Sohail Sultan and sought reply from the NA speaker, the election commission and complainant Nasrullah.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Wiqar Ahmad issued these orders during a hearing in a petition filed by Sohail Sultan.

The petitioner’s lawyers, Shamsul Hadi, Barrister Mudassir Ameer, and Barrister Yaseen Raz informed the court that their client was elected from NA-4, Swat, in the general elections on February 8 and had formally taken the oath of office.

However, on September 4, a complaint from a citizen named Nasrullah was received by the NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, alleging that the said MNA (Sohail Sultan) had served as Assistant Advocate General from 2019 to 2023 and had contested the election before completing the mandatory two-year period required under the Services of Pakistan.

According to the complainant, a government employee must wait two years after leaving office before entering politics, but this period had not been completed in Sultan’s case, making him ineligible to contest the election.

Based on this complaint, the speaker referred the disqualification case to the election commission, which subsequently issued a notice to the petitioner for October 21.

The petitioner’s lawyers argued that their client, who belongs to PTI and was elected from NA-4, Swat, was now being targeted by the federal government, which belongs to an opposition party.

They claimed that the disqualification reference was politically motivated, especially given that the nomination papers were duly filed at the time of the election.

After arguments, the court halted the proceedings against the petitioner at the election commission, issued notices to the relevant parties and adjourned the hearing until November 7.