ECP notifies 39 MNAs as PTI members following Supreme Court order

The PTI members had contested elections as independent candidates and later joined SIC

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday officially recognised 39 members of the National Assembly as part of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The commission has uploaded the notification on its website, according to a spokesperson.

"In pursuance of the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, dated July 12 2024, the following returned candidates against general seats of the National Assembly are declared to have been returned as candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)," the notification read.

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After the apex court ruled the decision in favour of PTI, the electoral watchdog in a press release confirmed its commitment to comply with the court's directive but instructed its legal team to identify any implementation obstacles promptly.

The commission stated, "The ECP will continue to perform its duties in accordance with the constitution and the law, without yielding to any pressure."

The apex court's majority verdict overturned the Peshawar High Court judgment dated March 25 and also declared the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order dated March 1 unconstitutional, lacking lawful authority and having no legal effect.

The apex court declared that the denial of an election symbol does not affect the constitutional and legal rights of a political party in any manner to participate in an election and to field candidates whereas the ECP is under a constitutional duty to act, construe and apply all statutory provisions accordingly.