The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has temporarily stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from taking further action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zartaj Gul. This decision came during the hearing of a petition filed on her behalf.
A two-member bench of the PHC, led by Justice Waqar Ahmed and Justice Ijaz Khan, issued the order on Tuesday. The court restrained the ECP from acting on its August 5 notification, which had suspended several PTI members, including Zartaj Gul.
The case relates to a verdict by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in Faisalabad, where Zartaj Gul was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Following this decision, the ECP declared her disqualified, along with other PTI leaders affected by the same ruling.
During the hearing, Justice Waqar Ahmed questioned why the petitioner had not approached the Lahore High Court (LHC). In response, Zartaj Gul’s lawyer explained that similar petitions from other PTI leaders, such as Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, were already being heard by the PHC. They too had been disqualified under the same CTD verdict.
The PHC’s order halting ECP action provides temporary relief to Zartaj Gul. It also underlines the legal challenges faced by PTI members following the CTD’s rulings.
This case is part of a broader dispute involving PTI leaders and their disqualification by the ECP after court judgments. The PHC’s decision means no immediate steps can be taken against Zartaj Gul until the petition is fully heard.
The Election Commission has been suspending multiple PTI members based on the CTD verdicts. The PHC’s intervention shows the ongoing judicial review of these decisions.
In summary, the PHC has played a crucial role in reviewing ECP actions against PTI leaders, ensuring their cases are heard properly before any final decisions are enforced.
In other related news also read ATC Orders To Seize Properties of PTI Leaders
