Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf key leaders including opposition leader in the National Assembly (NA) Omar Ayub disqualified.
The opposition leader in Senate Shibli Faraz, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Zartaj Gul, Raye Hyeder Ali Khan have also been declared disqualified.
The ECP owing to sentencing of these leaders by the Faisalabad court in the May 9 incident have declared them disqualified under the article 63-1H.
Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Raye Murtaza Iqbal, Junaid Afzal Sahi have also been declared disqualified from their posts.
The ECP also has issued a notification in this regard.
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Faisalabad last week sentenced PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz, Hamid Raza, and Zartaj Gul Wazir, to 10 years of imprisonment for their involvement in the May 9 riots.
On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting the party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, vandalising military installations and state-owned buildings, while also attacking the Lahore corps commander’s residence. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including party leaders, were arrested.
Out of 185 PTI workers accused, 108 have been sentenced by the court today. PTI’s Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA), Junaid Afzal Sahi, was sentenced to three years in prison. Meanwhile, MPA Khayal Ahmad Kastro, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Zain Qureshi, and former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry have been acquitted in the cases.
According to a copy of the court order “the prosecution has successfully proved its case without any shadow of doubt” against 17 of the accused, including the opposition leaders and Zartaj Gul. They were sentenced to:
