Party membership: ‘Disqualify Aitezaz, Rehman Malik’

The petitioner’s counsel told the court that PPPP and PPP were registered as separate political parties with the ECP

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan and others on a petition seeking disqualification of Senators Chaudhry Aitezaz Ahsan and Rehman Malik.

The single bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed issued notices on a petition filed by Syed Iqtidar Haider Shah.

The petitioner’s counsel told the court that Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were registered as separate political parties with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He said Senators Aitezaz Ahsan, Rehman Malik and others were not only members of the PPPP but also of the PPP which was a violation of the Constitution.

“No one can be a member of two political parties at the same time,” he said. He pleaded with the court to disqualify the PPP leaders for violating election laws.    The court issued notices to the ECP and other respondents and sought their replies in three weeks. The court also sought assistance from the attorney general of Pakistan and the advocate general of the Punjab.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2016.