PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday disposed of petitions filed by Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Hamid Raza, Rai Hassan Khan, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Rai Haider Ali, and Rai Ansar Iqbal against their disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), directing them to approach the concerned high courts instead.
The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Muhammad Ijaz Khan. During the proceedings, the petitioners’ counsels, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah, Additional Secretary Law of the Election Commission, and other officials appeared before the court.
The petitioners’ lawyers argued that their clients, elected members of assemblies, were sentenced by the Anti-Terrorism Court Faisalabad, after which the ECP disqualified them on August 5. They contended that the commission did not have the jurisdiction to do so.
Justice Waqar Ahmad inquired whether the petitioners had approached any other high court, to which their lawyers replied in the negative. However, the Additional Attorney General objected to the maintainability of the petitions at the PHC, arguing that all the constituencies concerned belonged to Punjab and thus fell under the jurisdiction of the Lahore or Islamabad High Courts. The ECP’s law officer added that under Article 224, by-elections must be held within 60 days of a seat falling vacant.
