Maryam Nawaz requests ECP to dismiss PTI’s petition

Says SC’s order does not apply to a vice president; ECP seeks PML-N’s reply

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to dismiss the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea against her appointment as the PML-N vice president, saying there is no legal restriction in this regard.

A three-member bench of the ECP on Tuesday heard the PTI’s petition which said Maryam could not hold any party position as she was convicted by a court of law on July 6, 2018 in a corruption case, Avenfield reference, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in view of an apex court order.

Maryam Nawaz’s lawyer Umar Sajjad, the PML-N’s lawyer Jahangir Jadoon and the PTI’s lawyer Hassan Maan appeared before the ECP. Maryam’s lawyer submitted his client’s written reply in the ECP but the PML-N did not submit a reply as it was not signed by the party chairman.

Maryam’s counsel said the petitioner did not show notification for Maryam’s appointment and only provided press clippings. The PTI’s lawyer said he could furnish arguments in this regard. The ECP summoning a reply from the PML-N postponed the hearing till July 4.

In her reply, Maryam Nawaz said there is no restriction in the Constitution and Election Act on a convicted person to hold a party’s vice presidency. She said dictators always made laws to keep public representatives away from the parliament.

In the Political Party Order 2002, a clause had been included to bar a convicted person from holding a party position. However, the parliament in the Election Act 2017 did not include clause of restriction.

She said the SC’s order was related to the party’s head while she [Maryam Nawaz] is not head of the party. Head of a party has a constitutional role but the vice president does not. She said the SC order that resulted in removal of Nawaz Sharif as the PML-N chief did not apply to her.

The reply said the ECP is not bound by the SC’s order and the other respondents are not affected in the case. The reply requested that the petition be declared non-hearable and dismissed. The petition against Maryam was filed by the Parliamentary Secretary Farrukh Habib and PTI’s women MNAs.