Thursday, Dec 25, 2025 | 04 Rajab 1447
Thursday, Dec 25, 2025 | 04 Rajab 1447
ISLAMABAD: The electoral body has fixed for hearing on the January 6th a reference against yet another lawmaker linked to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking his disqualification, this time over an alleged constitutional violation.
The cause list issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) suggests that the reference against Sohail Sultan, seeking his disqualification under Article 63 of the Constitution, has been fixed for hearing, and that the notices have been issued to one Nasrullah Khan, the petitioner, and Sultan, the respondent.
Sultan is accused of violating Article 63(1)(K) of the Constitution that bars public office-holders from being elected or chosen to the Parliament for two years after their retirement or resignation from the service.
This article provides that a person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as a parliamentarian – if they are in the service of Pakistan or of any statutory body or any entity which is owned or controlled by the government or in which the government has a controlling share or interest, unless a period of two years has elapsed since they ceased to be in such service.
Sultan was elected to National Assembly’s seat NA-4 in last year’s general election, in alleged violation of the aforesaid article, when he was reportedly the advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The reference against him is sent to the ECP by Speaker NA Ayaz Sadiq under Article 63(2). This law provides that if any question of disqualification of a member of the Parliament arises, the speaker NA is empowered to refer the matter to the ECP within 30 days.
In accordance with Article 63(2), the ECP is empowered to take a decision on the matter within 90 days.
In recent months, 16 PTI-linked lawmakers have been de-seated by the ECP following their convictions by the courts.
These lawmakers comprise eight NA members, six Punjab Assembly members, and two senators.
Abdul Latif (NA-1 Chitral), Omar Ayub Khan (NA-18 Haripur), Ahmed Chattha (NA-66 Wazirabad), Rai Haider Ali (NA-96 Faisalabad), Sahibzada Hamid Raza (NA-104 Faisalabad), Rai Hassan Nawaz (NA-143 Sahiwal), Jamshaid Dasti (NA-175 Muzaffargarh), Zartaj Gul (NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan), Ansar Iqbal (PP-73 Sargodha), Ahmad Khan (PP-87 Mianwali), Junaid Afzal Sahi (PP-98 Faisalabad), Shahid Javed (PP-115 Faisalabad), Muhammad Ismael (PP-116 Faisalabad), Rai Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203 Sahiwal), Shibli Faraz (Senate) and Ejaz Chaudhary (Senate) are among the disqualified legislators.
Except Dasti, the other 15 lawmakers were de-seated by the ECP keeping in view their convictions by the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in the cases related to 9 May riots.
Dasti was disqualified by the electoral body on the charges of having fake educational credentials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
