ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday adjourned until January 14th the petition seeking disqualification of PPP’s senior leader Faryal Talpur as member of Sindh Assembly.

Headed by the acting Chief Election Commissioner Altaf Ibharim Qureshi a two-member Bench heard the case against the PPP’s leader.

The counsels of both the petitioner and Faryal Talpur appeared before the Commission.

However, the counsel of the petitioner sought more time to file the response to the notice issued by the Commission to both the parties in previous hearing.

The ECP after granting more time also directed all parties to provide their replies on the next hearing.

The acting CEC also directed them to come prepared on the next hearing.  At a previous hearing on November 5, the Commission had issued a notice to Faryal Talpur to submit her comments on the petition.

It is pertinent to mention here that the two lawmakers of the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had moved a petition in the ECP seeking disqualification of Faryal Talpur as member of the Provincial Assembly.

They stated the PPP leader should be disqualified under Article 62 of the Constitution as she had failed to declare details of her assets before the ECP.

According to the petitioner, the PPP’s leader was no longer Sadiq and Ameen as she did not declare her assets to the Commission which she owned. The petitioner had claimed that Faryal Talpur owned properties in Larkana and Shahdadkot.

Meanwhile, the ECP also adjourned the hearing of a contempt case against Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan till December 16.

A two-member Commission headed by acting (CEC) heard the case against Firdous Ashiq Awan.

The counsels of both the parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) appeared before the Commission.

The counsel of PML-N during the hearing said that the petitioner wanted to make PEMRA a party in the contempt case. The ruling party’s lawyer Ali Bukhari argued that the petitioner has not mentioned the complete reasons for filing the case, adding, that he would answer the Commission in next hearing. The Commission also asked the lawyer of PML-N to come up with more details and arguments in next hearing.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) filed an application against the Special Assistant on her controversial statement about the Election Commission.

Petitioner Khalid Mahmood filed a plea in the ECP over her statements.

On the same day the Commission also disposed the petition against the sit-in of the Tehreek E Labbaik at Faizabad.