The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce its decision regarding an application filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) seeking disqualification of senator-elect Yousuf Raza Gilani over his son Ali Haider Gilani’s video scandal on Wednesday
Earlier today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected PTI’s petition against Yousuf Raza Gilani’s victory in the March 3 Senate elections.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the plea filed against the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate by PTI MNA Ali Nawaz Awan.
Rejecting the plea, Justice Minallah told the petitioner to use the forum of ECP for resolution first where his case was already being heard.
“This writ cannot be heard on this occasion,” the judge said, adding that courts should not be dragged in political matters unnecessarily.
The petitioner stated in his plea that Gilani’s son, Ali Haider’s, a video surfaced two days before the polls, proving that he was involved in horse-trading.
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On March 2, a day before the Senate elections, a video surfaced showing Ali Haider telling two PTI members of the National Assembly about how to waste votes.
The ruling party had also filed an application with the polls supervisory body seeking disqualification of Ali Haider Gilani from the Punjab Assembly.
On March 9, at an earlier hearing by the four-member ECP bench, PTI counsel Ali Zafar was of the stance that the ruling party and allies have 180 MNAs in the lower house of the Parliament whereas the opposition has 160 members.
“Had the polls been transparent, [PTI candidate] Hafeez Shaikh would have won by a wide margin,” Barrister Zafar had added.
The counsel apprised the bench that the lawmakers were offered money and tickets for the next elections to garner their support, alleging that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) joint candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani “bribed†the PTI MNAs.
“The premier then asked the ECP to intervene in the matter,” he added.
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