The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday canned a petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers to disqualify Senator Yousuf Raza Gilani over “corrupt practices”, saying he had no connection to the case.
However, the ECP ordered the district election commissioner Islamabad to start a criminal case under Sections 167 (corrupt practices) and 168 (bribery) of the Elections Act, 2017 against Gilani’s son and Punjab Assembly lawmaker Ali Haider Gilani.
Moreover, the election commission also directed PTI Members of National Assembly Faheem Khan and Captain (retired) Jamil Ahmed Khan to be tried under the same cases.
In its order, the ECP stated that it had been “proved” that Ali, Faheem and Jamil had indulged in corrupt practices. It said that the three individuals could be punished under Sections 167 and 168 to three years in jail or a fine of Rs100,000 or both.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said the facts of the case had not been presented properly. He observed that 20 hearings had been conducted on the case and 12 applications for adjournment were filed.
Following the Senate elections on March 3 last year, PTI lawmakers Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Bokhari and Kanwal Shauzab had filed a plea in the election commission, calling on it not to issue the notification for Gilani’s victory. However, the ECP had rejected the plea.
