ISLAMABAD
The PTI submitted a reference to the Senate chairperson on Thursday, seeking the disqualification of Senator Saifullah Abro for defecting from party line and voting in favour of the 27th Constitutional Amendment. PTI Senator Ali Zafar posted about the development on his X account, saying: “Saifullah Abro went against party line by voting in favour of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, for which a reference for his disqualification has been filed.”
The reference, moved by Zafar, invoked Article 63-A of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification on grounds of defection. “The declaration is being submitted for onward reference to the chief election commissioner for laying the same before the election commission in accordance with the said Article 63-A,” the reference, dated January 1 and seen by Dawn, said.
It added that a meeting of the PTI was convened before voting on the 27th Amendment, in which it was “explicitly decided and communicated to all PTI senators in writing” that they were to oppose and not vote in favour of any legislative measure or bill relating to the said amendment.
The direction to oppose and not vote in favour of any legislative measure relating to the 27th Amendment was also issued by Zafar to all PTI senators, including Abro, the reference stated, adding: “The record confirms that this direction was properly conveyed to him and that he was fully aware of it.” The direction was also widely published in the media, the reference said.
However, Senator Abro voted in favour of the legislation first on November 10, 2025 — when the Senate first voted on the amendment — and then on November 13,2025 when the house considered the legislation for the second time after some changes were made to it, the reference said.. At both instances, Abro voted in favour of the amendment, contrary to the “clear, unanimous and duly communicated direction” of the PTI and his parliamentary leader in the Senate, it said.
The reference further stated that a show-cause notice dated December 2, 2025 was issued to Abro, and it was subsequently “received at his residential/official mailing addresses of Larkana and Islamabad, affording him full and adequate opportunity to show cause as to why a declaration may not be made against him in terms of Article 63-A”.
