The Election Commission on Friday announced to hold by-elections on 31 more National Assembly seats vacated by PTI members, on March 19.
Nearly a week ago, the top electoral authority announced to hold by-polls on 33 NA seats vacated by the former ruling party’s members, on March 16.
On Jan 25, the ECP de-notified 43 NA members elected on the party’s ticket. Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted the resignations of 43 PTI legislators. The resignations had been processed twice by then.
The former ruling party had submitted its resignations from the legislature in April 2022, in protest at an alleged “regime change conspiracy” that PTI chairman Imran Khan claims was behind the no-trust vote ousting his government.
They were not accepted at first due to statutory requirements and legal procedures, but mostly in the hope that the party’s chief would take a ‘U-turn’ and return to the assembly. However, they were then processed in batches, with at least 69 resignations approved since 17 January.
Imran Opts Out
It emerged earlier that PTI chairman has decided not to take part in the by-elections. Instead, the party’s former members of National Assembly will contest them. They were reportedly directed to submit their nomination papers to the authority concerned.
Imran, according to sources, withdrew his candidature in order to avoid a possible disqualification in the ongoing Tyrian White case about his alleged daughter and the concealing of details.
In Oct last year, the Election Commission disqualified Imran Khan in the highly-anticipated verdict.
He had apprised the court that he was no more a public office-holder and thus the allegation that he had concealed details had no merit.
The former premier is said to have instructed the ex-lawmakers to commence election campaigns in their respective constituencies.
The IHC recently decided to constitute a larger bench to preside over the plea about the concealment of the details.
In a separate ruling late last month, a court in Islamabad announced to indict Imran in Toshakhana case on Feb 7.
The former premier was disqualified from holding public office in a highly-anticipated verdict, last year.
On Jan 25, the ECP denotified 43 NA members elected on the party’s ticket.
He was de-seated from his Mianwali seat under Article 63(1)(p) for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.
