ECP verdict on MNA Bazai disqualification reference today

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce its reserved judgement today (Thursday) on two disqualification references, filed by PMLN leadership against Adil Khan Bazai, who was elected as the MNA from NA-262.

According to the cause list, posted on the ECP website, notices had been issued to the complainant PMLN President Nawaz Sharif and Bazai in relation to the announcement of the order. The Election Commission was moved against the MNA, elected from a Quetta constituency in the February 8 general election, for allegedly not voting on the money bill and then staying away at the time of voting on the recent 26th Constitutional Amendment.

The ECP bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, had reserved its verdict on the matter last week. During the hearing, Bazai’s lawyer had maintained that his client had never joined the PMLN and asserted that a fake affidavit had been submitted in his name with the ECP and asked for a forensic audit of the affidavit. He pointed out that details of the notary public were not even recorded on the stamp paper for the affidavit. He also contended that oath commissioner’s statement was on record that Adil Bazai never appeared before him. He claimed that Bazai was an independent member, according to the National Assembly’s website until September 27, 2024. The lawyer pointed out that it was mentioned in the PMLN reference that Bazai never sat on the government benches.

To this, the CEC said that if Bazai had submitted an affidavit to join the Sunni Ittehad Council, then why had he not contacted the Election Commission.

The ECP member from Sindh Nisar Ahmad Durrani also asked as to why he remained silent for so long.

The counsel responded that his client remained silent because the affidavit had never come to light. He contended that the NA speaker did not conduct any investigation into the reference.