The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday ruled in favor of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (ML-N) vice-president and allowed her to keep her party post. 

The ECP rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition to remove Maryam Nawaz as party’s vice president, however, restricted that she cannot become the acting president of PML-N.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had reserved verdict in the case on Monday. Advocate Hassan Maan, PTI counsel, had argued during the hearing that Section 203 should be read with Article 62 and 63. A PTI candidate in South Punjab was dismissed from party designation on the same principle which bars disqualified leaders from holding any position in party, he said.

Hassan Maan further had added that the Supreme Court said Section 203 was formulated just to benefit one person.

PML-N lawyer had argued that some political parties are headed by their presidents, some by chairmen and some by emirs. He continued that the only person which matters is the one having authority, and vice president does not possess any power. The apex court had also mentioned about party head in its verdict, the counsel added while requesting the ECP to dismiss PTI’s petition.

On May 4, Maryam was appointed as one of the vice-presidents of the PML-N along with 15 other leaders, day after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif stepped down as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

According to notification issued from London, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had been appointed senior vice president of the party while Ahsan Iqbal had been made general secretary.

Party vice president include Maryam Nawaz, Abid Sher Ali, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Barjees Tashir, Darshan Lal, Hamza Shehbaz, Khawaja Saad rafique, Khurram Dastagir, Mian Javed Latif, Muhammad Zubair, Mushahidullah Khan, Nelson Azeem, Pervaiz Rasheed, Raheela Durrani, Rana Tanveer and Sardar Mehtab.

Former finance minister Ishaq Dar had been given the responsibility of president International Affairs Committee, while Noorul Hassan Tanveer had been appointed general secretary International Affairs Committee.

President Shahbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ishaq Dar had also been made members of the PML-N Economic Advisory Council and Marriyum Aurangzeb had been retained as secretary information and spokesperson of the Party.