ECP reinstates MNA amid JUI-F protest

Sadaf Ihsan to continue on reserved women's seat

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has upheld the National Assembly membership of Sadaf Ihsan on a reserved women's seat allocated to the JUI-F.

The commission rejected a petition filed by JUI-F's Hina Bibi, who had sought Sadaf Ihsan's de-notification on the grounds that her name was not included in the party's priority list.

While dismissing the plea, the ECP stated that Sadaf Ihsan would continue as an MNA. However, it noted that Hina Bibi retains the right to challenge the decision before an election tribunal.

JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri strongly criticized the ECP's decision to allocate a women's reserved seat to what he termed an "outsider," calling the move unjust and politically biased.

He alleged that the decision violated party policy and ignored the Peshawar High Court's ruling by referring the matter to a tribunal.

Questioning the ECP's authority, Ghauri asked who empowered the commission to nominate party representatives. He further claimed that the controversial decision was a "reward" for extending the chief election commissioner's tenure.

He urged the ECP to act as a neutral national institution rather than a political body.

According to the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), the dispute arose shortly after the ECP notified Sadaf Ihsan as a returned candidate on March 4, 2024.

Hina Bibi, who was on priority no 4 in the JUI-F's list, filed an application before the ECP on March 6, 2024. On March 10, 2024, the JUI-F also contended that Sadaf Ihsan was not the party's nominee.

The JUI-f claimed that its recommended candidate was Sadaf Yasmin, and that Sadaf Ihsan had misrepresented herself in her place.

Hina Bibi argued that since Sadaf Yasmin had not filed nomination papers, and she herself had done so, she should be declared the returned candidate instead. Upon receiving these applications, the ECP suspended Sadaf Ihsan's notification.

Sadaf Ihsan challenged the suspension before the PHC, which restored her membership on March 11, 2024, and directed the parties to seek final adjudication from the Election Tribunal.

Subsequently, the JUI-F and Hina Bibi approached the Supreme Court, which on April 22, 2024, suspended the PHC's order, resulting in the ECP once again suspending Sadaf Ihsan's membership.