ECP de-notifies Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

Sadiq's lawyer says draft of their appeal against the tribunal's verdict is being finalised, will be filed in SC...

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday de-notified National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq following Saturday's verdict by a  tribunal which declared his election null and void.

Sadiq, who belongs to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was first elected as a member of the lower house and then as its Speaker after defeating PTI chairman Imran Khan in NA-122 Lahore constituency, in the May 2013 general elections.

A copy of the notification available with The Express Tribune

After the notification, Sadiq's deputy Murtaza Javed Abbasi will take over charge as the interim speaker.

The Constitution stipulates that in the absence of speaker, his deputy assumes his duties automatically. However, the Constitution is silent on a time frame to elect a new speaker if an incumbent resigns or is de-seated.

According to Article 53 of the Constitution, which delineates provisions related to speaker and the deputy speaker, after the general elections, the National Assembly cannot conduct any other business unless it elects a new speaker in its first sitting.

Read: NA-122 rigging allegations: Tribunal terms Ayaz Sadiq's election null and void

The ECP on Monday morning received a written order of Justice Kazim Malik - who had issued the verdict for NA-122 - to de-notify Sadiq, paving the way for deputy speaker Murtaza Abbasi to take ove as acting head of the National Assembly, Express News reported.

Further, it said that the commission was soon expected to issue a schedule of re-polls in the NA-122 and PP-147 constituencies.

The former NA speaker has also announced to go to the Supreme Court to appeal against the verdict. It is probable that if the apex court issues a stay order, Sadiq would retain his seat as did PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique in the recent past.

On Saturday, the tribunal approved the PTI chief's claims that systematic rigging had taken place in the aforementioned constituencies and ordered re-election.

Read: NA-122 re-election: PML-N respects tribunal’s verdict but has reservations

Sadiq had said he accepted the tribunal’s judgment, adding that the tribunal put the blame on election machinery.

“I respect the judgment and accept it but due to our reservations, we will go to the Supreme Court,” he said.

He also said that the judgment had not been about victory or defeat as he also won the election in 2002.

Sadiq preparing appeal against tribunal’s verdict

Lawyer Saeeduz Zaman, who has been engaged to represent Sadiq in the Supreme Court as the deseated Speaker aims to appeal the election tribunal’s decision, said that the first draft of the petition had been completed.

Zaman told The Express Tribune that he had sent the draft of appeal to his client for review, expressing the hope that it would be finalised and filed in the apex court in the next 48 hours.

If Sadiq can get a stay order against tribunal’s decision, his membership to the National Assembly would be restored for the time being. In such a situation legally he can work as speaker of the lower house. However, it will be a question of moral standing for the ruling party and the Ayaz Sadiq himself to work as speaker, while his case pending in the court.