PTI files reference with ECP against Nawaz Sharif's 'political activities'

Petition demands ousted PM be made ineligible to hold membership of any political party

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf filed on Wednesday a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), asking the electoral body to restrain ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif from leading or taking part in political activities.

According to Express News, the petition was prepared by Babar Awan, and was submitted by party's contender for forthcoming NA-120 by-poll in Lahore, Yasmin Rashid, under Section 5 of the Political Parties order 2002.

The petition was filed hours before Nawaz left for his 'homecoming' rally for Lahore from Islamabad via the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.



The petition argues that the former premier be declared ineligible for membership of any political party on the basis of disqualification, and the party carrying his name should be enlisted as a banned organisation.

The petition further demanded that using Nawaz's name for the party must be declared as contrary to law and Constitution.

Meanwhile, it has been decided that Shehbaz Sharif would be the new president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, following Nawaz's disqualification from office.

On July 28, a five-member Supreme Court bench hearing the Panama Papers case of Sharif family’s offshore assets had disqualified Nawaz from the PM’s office for failing to declare a salary, which he had not withdrawn as an executive of Dubai-based company, as an asset when filing his nomination papers in 2013.