Islamabad: The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday issued stay order on the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to disqualify Umar Amin Gandapur, paving way for him to contest local bodies elections in Dera Ismail Khan.
On Monday, the ECP had disqualified Umar from contesting for the Dera Ismail Khan mayor polls in the upcoming second phase of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government polls scheduled on March 27.
Umar, who is running for the mayor on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf ticket, is the brother of Federal Minister Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked how the matter reached to the commission if no irregularity was reported.
Barrister Ali Zafar, who was representing Umar, said that the commission was hearing the matter regarding Ali Amin and during that proceeding it also announced the verdict of his client’s disqualification. This is against the law, he said.
The electoral body had barred Ali from participating in in any political campaigns or activities.
After the initial hearing, the court issued a notice to the commission and asked it to submit a reply by February 11, 2022.
