PTI MPAs submit response to ECP in disqualification reference

ISLAMABAD   -  The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) said on Tuesday that the commission had yet to take any decision on admissibility of the PTI’s application to entertain new evidence in the dissident lawmakers case as the electoral body was bound to give verdict in 30 days.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja along with Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Nisar Ahmed Durrani heard the case.

CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja said that commission had not enough time in the case and PTI lawyer’s repeated requests for adjournments in the case was causing further delay.

Dissident lawmakers objected to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawyer’s request for submitting more evidence to the ECP arguing that it was not permissible at this stage.

During hearing of the case, PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry requested the commission to permit him to produce more evidence to the ECP against alleged defectors. Faisal Chaudhry replied that ECP was a tribunal before which the material had to be placed, adding that the case could not be run without evidence. However, he said, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmmod Qureshi, Asad Umar and Amir Dogar will also be giving their statement.

Dissident Parliamentarians’ lawyer raised objection over maintainability of reference and asked the ECP to disallow PTI counsel to present more evidence in the case at last stage. The PTI lawyer said that dissident members had joined other political parties.“ Separately, members of Punjab Assembly Raja Saghir Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sanga, Saeed Akbar Khan, Muhammad Ajmal, Aleem Khan, Nazir Chauhan, Muhammad Amin Zulqarnain, Malik Noman Langarial, Muhammad Salman, Zawar Warraich, Nazeed Ahmad Khan, Fida Hussain, Zehra Batool, Muhammad Tahir, Ayesha Nawaz, Sajida Yusuf, Haroon Imran Gul, Azmi Kardar and others submitted their written replies to the Election Commission.

Later on, the Commission adjourned the case hearing till Wednesday.