ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday issued notice to Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on a reference forwarded by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and directed him to submit reply till November 2, 2016.
The ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza Khan and comprising all members of the committee took up petitions/references against Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Jehangir Khan Tareen, Liaquat Tarakai and Captain (Retd) Safdar.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) clubbed all the petitions/references filed against the Prime Minister and others adjourned to November 2, 2016.
While the case of misappropriation of PTI’s funds was adjourned till December 1, 2016.
The bench of the CEC said that the Commission would try to hear the references on daily basis.
On the ECP’s direction, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif filed written replies through their counsel Salman Butt advocate. In their replies they challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction to hear references on ‘frivolous’ charges.
The replies stated that neither the ECP has jurisdiction to take action on baseless charges nor a reference for disqualification of any member can be filed directly in ECP. As per the Constitution, the election of any member of the Parliament could not be challenged at any forum except Election Tribunal.
The replies further stated that only Speaker National Assembly had the authority to forward reference against any member to ECP. The ECP directed the Prime Minister’s counsel to file reply on Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s application pleading the ECP to restrain Prime Minister from functioning.
