ECP reserves decision on disqualification reference

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved its decision on the disqualification references against 25 dissident Punjab MPAs of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

In today’s proceeding before the commission, arguments in the case were completed on the disqualification reference which was sent to the ECP by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi against the PTI’s dissident members.
The counsel for the dissident members of the provincial assembly argued that the MPAs were unaware of the directions given by the parliamentary party about voting in favour of Pervaiz Elahi for Punjab’s chief minister.

On which, the PTI counsel, Syed Ali Zafar said, “By taking the defence and claiming they were not aware of parliamentary party directions regarding who to vote for in the election of the chief minister when the entire world and the nation knew about it, and the same was being discussed in talk shows and reported in the newspapers, is like saying that the MPAs were, though awake, yet sleeping all this time,” he added.

The counsel claimed that the meeting of the parliamentary party was held on April 1, its decision was reported in the press the next day, that notices to all MPAs of the Punjab Assembly were issued on April 2 by the chief whip, and another notice was sent on April 4 by PTI General Secretary Asad Umar, that another meeting was held in April in which the same decision was taken, and that a notice was sent on April 7 for the third time.