In a significant political development, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul, and Ahmad Chattha have been removed from key parliamentary positions following their disqualification by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). This move follows a ruling by an Anti-Terrorism Court, which convicted several PTI leaders, leading to their removal from various national committees.
Pakistan’s National Assembly Secretariat has officially removed PTI’s Omar Ayub from his role as Leader of the Opposition, declaring the position vacant. Alongside Ayub’s dismissal, Zartaj Gul has lost her position as Parliamentary Leader, and Ahmad Chattha has been stripped of his duties as Deputy Parliamentary Leader. The Secretariat also reclaimed the Opposition Leader’s chamber previously held by Ayub, and a replacement for the position is expected to be appointed soon by the Speaker.
In addition to these changes, Omar Ayub has been delisted from the Public Accounts Committee and the Finance Committee. The notification confirmed that seven PTI lawmakers, including Ayub, Gul, and Chattha, have been removed from 15 different standing committees. This includes Sahibzada Hamid Raza’s removal as Chairman of the Human Rights Committee and Rai Hassan Nawaz’s dismissal from the Railways Committee.
These actions follow the disqualification of the PTI leaders by the Election Commission of Pakistan after they were convicted by an Anti-Terrorism Court. The disqualification prevents them from holding any public office, a decision that has sparked legal challenges from the affected leaders.
In a separate development, Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, both disqualified by the ECP, filed petitions with the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to challenge their disqualification. On August 9, the PHC issued a reserved verdict, suspending the ECP’s disqualification order. The court also directed the ECP to halt all actions related to the disqualification until further notice. The petitioners, who had been convicted in absentia, secured protective bail after appearing before the court. The next hearing is set for August 20, as Ayub and Faraz prepare to appeal their convictions in the Lahore High Court.
The PHC criticized the ECP for disqualifying the PTI leaders without affording them a proper hearing, emphasizing that this decision violated due process. The court’s order effectively pauses the disqualification proceedings, allowing for further legal review.
