Party cannot remain registered with name of disqualified person: plea to ECP

ISLAMABAD: An application submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to be denotified, arguing that a "party cannot be proven registered with the name of a disqualified person".

The request which was submitted by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Advocate Makhdoom Muhammad Niaz Inqilabi stated that a disqualified person cannot lead or become member of a political party, however "Nawaz Sharif is incessantly presiding the gatherings from party’s platform."





The plea further stated that PML-N is registered with Nawaz Sharif’s name in the ECP. Now that Nawaz stands disqualified, the party cannot be proven registered with the name of a disqualified person.

"Thereby, ECP must denotify PML-N until the Supreme Court’s decision of July 28, 2017 is suspended following a review appeal. Until the decision isn’t suspended, under current circumstances, PML-N cannot remain enrolled at the Election Commission," the application read further.



Last week, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified as the head of the Pakistan PML-N. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, issued a short order on petitions filed against Nawaz holding the party position after his disqualification in the Panama Papers case.



In its five-page order, read by Chief Justice Nisar, the court declared that any person who is disqualified under the Article 62 or 63 of the Constitution is barred from holding the position of “Party Head” by whatever name called.