FCC rejects JUI-F appeal against election of its own lawmaker

Counsel for JUI-F informs court that party had submitted four names for reserved seats

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Thursday dismissed an appeal filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) in a dispute over a reserved seat, upholding the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case.

During the hearing, counsel for JUI-F informed the court that the party had submitted four names for reserved seats. The counsel argued that the ECP could not make changes to the list submitted by a political party for reserved seats.

“This is a unique case in Pakistan's history,” the JUI-F lawyer said. The counsel maintained that JUI-F had stated that Sadaf Ihsan was not its candidate, but the party was being told otherwise.

Read: ECP reinstates MNA amid JUI-F protest

The counsel further maintained that if a political party had submitted an incorrect list, the ECP could have asked it to make corrections.

After hearing the arguments, the FCC upheld the ECP's decision and dismissed JUI-F's appeal.

JUI-F challenges own lawmaker’s election

The JUI-F challenged the election of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly member Sadaf, elected on the reserved seats for women, in the Supreme Court.

Sadaf had been a provincial assembly member of the JUI.

The party filed a petition in the apex court against the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision regarding the election of Sadaf, seeking suspension of the notification for the lawmaker as a member of the K-P Assembly.

The JUI adopted the stance that Sadaf's name was not on the priority list submitted by the party.

Read more: AJK crisis: Bilawal, Fazl urge dialogue

It maintained that the name of Sadaf Yasmeen was given on the priority list for reserved seats of women which was submitted to the ECP by the party, adding that Yasmeen did not show her interest in the seat.

The party stated that Sadaf obtained Yasmeen’s seat with the alleged complicity of some party members. It said that when the ECP started an inquiry into the matter, Sadaf approached the PHC, following which the court approved her writ and ordered the issuance of a notification for her as a member of the assembly.