PESHAWAR – The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday stopped the NA-1 Chitral by-election after Member of the National Assembly (NA) Abdul Latif filed a petition against his disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal. The court issued notices to the ECP and the Attorney General of Pakistan, directing that no action be taken regarding the NA-1 Chitral by-election until a decision is reached on the petition.
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Advocate Moazzam Butt, representing Abdul Latif, informed the court that his client was elected from NA-1 Chitral but was disqualified without receiving any formal notice. He said the National Assembly Speaker had sent a reference to the ECP, stating that an anti-terrorism court had sentenced Latif to ten years in prison, and requested that he be declared ineligible.
Butt argued that the anti-terrorism court delivered the verdict in Latif’s absence, and that an appeal has already been filed. He added that the ECP issued a notice and declared the seat vacant without hearing his client or completing any legal process.
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“The law requires the Election Commission to decide references within 90 days,” said Butt. “This was not followed in the case of the NA-1 Chitral by-election.”
The court, acknowledging the legal questions raised, restrained the Election Commission from holding the NA-1 Chitral by-election.
The hearing was adjourned until 20 August.
