ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) reply in the reference filed against deviant members of Punjab.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the references against 25 deviant members of the PTI in the Punjab Assembly and the PTI submitted the signed rejoinder.
During the hearing, Shehzad Shaukat, counsel for the dissident lawmakers, said that the signed answer without a signature is different so, the new answer should be rejected.
At this PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry said that they are trying to hide behind the technical error but the ECP has accepted the reply submitted by PTI.
Salman Akram Raja, counsel for the deviant members, while giving arguments, said that under Article 63A, the parliamentary party issues instructions to the members while CEC’s Sindh member Nasir Durrani questioned whether the leader of the parliamentary party could also issue a policy?
Shehzad Shaukat answered Nasir Durrani that the party chairman could not issue instructions and Imran Khan instructed PTI members of the Punjab Assembly to vote for Pervez Elahi in a letter dated April 4. The affidavit submitted by PTI today was not of Imran Khan but Sibtan Khan, he added.
Why Imran Khan is hesitant to give an affidavit because he knows that action can be taken on a false affidavit, Shehzad said.
On the other hand, Election Commission adjourned the hearing till noon tomorrow.
