PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court(PHC) has stayed the by-election in Chitral’s NA-01 constituency and issued notices to the Election Commission and the Attorney General.
A petition filed against the disqualification of Abdul Latif, a member of the National Assembly elected from Chitral’s NA-1 constituency, was heard in the Peshawar High Court. The case was heard by a bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr. Khurshid Iqbal.
The court ordered the Election Commission not to hold a by-election on the Chitral NA-1 seat until a decision is taken on this petition. The court issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Attorney General, seeking a response.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Moazzam Butt Advocate, told the court that his client was elected as a member of the National Assembly from NA-1 Chitral, but the Speaker of the National Assembly sent a reference of disqualification to the Election Commission without any notice.
The reference stated that the Anti-Terrorism Court had sentenced his client to 10 years in prison, so he should be disqualified. Advocate Moazzam Butt argued that the Election Commission had disqualified the petitioner without hearing him and fulfilling the legal requirements and declared the seat vacant and announced a by-election.
The lawyer said that the decision of the Anti-Terrorism Court was announced in the absence of the petitioner and an appeal has been filed against this sentence. The court adjourned the further hearing of the case till August 20.
It is to mentioning here that several leaders of PTI have been targeted to be disqualified if the Anti-terrorism court decision is implemented without hearing the petitioners. This would develop a new controversy and would cause a huge loss to the national exchequer in terms of funds.
