ECP defers verdict in dissident PTI MPAs case

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which was due to decide the fate of 25 PTI MPAs who had defected to the then opposition ahead of the election of the provincial chief minister Wednesday now deferred announcement of the decision and said it will first issue notices to the respondents instead.

The ECP’s verdict gained special significance after the Supreme Court’s Tuesday verdict in which while interpreting Article 63-A of the Constitution had said the votes of a party’s turncoat would not be counted. Reserving the verdict in the case Tuesday, the ECP had said it would pronounce the decision Wednesday at 12 pm. Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi had sent a reference to the Election Commission against 25 PTI dissidents who voted against the party policy in election for the Punjab chief minister on April 16. Earlier, lawyers of all the parties completed their arguments.

After listening to their arguments, the ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reserved the verdict. The Election Commission in its May 11 verdict rejected the disqualification reference against the MNAs of the PTI involved in floor crossing during the no-confidence motion against their party’s Prime Minister Imran Khan. The ECP said in its verdict that the reference against 20 MNAs of the PTI was not proved.