PHC halts ECP actions against opposition leaders

Two-judge bench notes Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub were in process of appealing their con-victions in LHC   Stop ECP from taking any further action under its notifications to disqualify PTI leaders.

PESHAWAR  –  The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday halted the Election Commission of Paki-stan (ECP) from taking any action against PTI leaders Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub.

On Tuesday, the ECP disqualified Faraz as the Senate opposition leader, Omar Ayub as Opposition Leader in the National Assembly in addition to then-MNAs Zartaj Gul, Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions in cases related to the May 9 riots.

Identical orders issued Wednesday by a bench comprising Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Farah Jamshed said that Faraz and Ayub were in the process of appealing their convic-tions in the Lahore High Court (LHC) and had surrendered themselves before the PHC so they could approach the LHC.

The orders said that their convictions were not final and the ECP had not waited for the outcome of their appeals before disqualifying them. They directed notices be issued to the respondents in the matter and meanwhile, “the ECP shall not take any further process” under its notifications to disqualify the PTI leaders.

The orders adjourned both cases to Aug 20. The bench had granted protective bail to the two and Gul earlier today. Talking to the reporters, Ayub said the ECP had disqualified him without following due procedure. He thanked the PHC for granting transit bail so he could file his appeal. A day prior, Ayub lambasted the ATC’s “bogus verdict” in a post on X, say-ing that he would contest it and the ECP’s disqualification in court.

He also posted a video of himself at the PHC with other PTI leaders and lawyers, saying the court had given him a few days and bail would be granted to him on filing his appeal.

Also, the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday granted protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shibli Faraz and Zartaj Gul, who were recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in connection with the May 9 riots. The bench, after announcing the reserved verdict on their petition, allowed both leaders bail until August 11 and di-rected them to approach the relevant high court to file their appeals within this period. The court also ordered that the two not be arrested during this time.

The court barred the Election Commission from taking any further action against the peti-tioners and directed that no proceedings be carried out on the disqualification notification issued on August 5.

On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested. An anti-terrorism court in Faisalabad last week senten¬ced over PTI 100 leaders and workers to jail terms of up to 10 years in connection with the riots. Faraz, Zartaj Gul and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan were among those award-ed rigorous imprisonment.