The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has barred the Election Commission from taking further action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zartaj Gul. The court adjourned the hearing while seeking responses from the involved parties.
A two-member bench, consisting of Justice Waqar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Khan, heard the petition concerning Zartaj Gul’s disqualification. During the proceedings, the petitioner’s lawyer stated that the Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad had sentenced his client to 10 years in prison, leading to the Election Commission’s disqualification of Zartaj Gul, along with several other members, on August 5.
Justice Waqar Ahmed inquired why the lawyer had not approached the Lahore High Court. The lawyer responded that the petitions filed by Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz are of a similar nature and are currently under consideration in this court, making it appropriate for related cases to be heard together.
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The court indicated that this petition would be addressed alongside the other cases, and arguments concerning jurisdiction would be considered at the next hearing. The court, while seeking responses from the Election Commission and other parties, ordered a halt to further proceedings and adjourned the hearing.
This order is viewed as a legal relief for Zartaj Gul, providing her with a temporary reprieve from the proceedings initiated by the Election Commission.
