ISLAMABAD
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed 20 dissident Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members of the National Assembly (MNAs) on Thursday to submit their written replies on Party references seeking their disqualification under Article 63-A of the Constitution.
The ECP also reserved its ruling on an objection raised by dissident PTI lawmaker Noor Alam’s counsel, who said that the commission could not hear the references at present as it was incomplete since two of its members had been retired.
During the hearing, Alam’s counsel presented his arguments, contending that his client had not violated Article 63-A as he did not vote on the no-trust motion against Imran.
Article 63-A states: A parliamentarian can be disqualified on grounds of defection if he “votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill or a Constitution (amendment) bill”.
Noor Alam was among several PTI lawmakers who had expressed support for a no-trust motion against Imran Khan that eventually led to the PTI chairman. He was also found to be stay at Sindh House, along with many other PTI MNAs, ahead of the no-trust vote. The PTI has alleged that these MNAs changed their loyalties in exchange for money.
These dissident lawmakers, however, had not voted on the no-trust motion against Imran as the former opposition, which is now the ruling coalition, managed to garner 174 votes, two more than the required 172 to pass the resolution for Imran’s ouster, after successfully bagging the support of PTI’s allied parties, the MQM and the BAP, after successfully bagging the support of PTI’s allied parties, the MQM and the BAP.
Alam’s counsel, hence, defended his client, saying he had not voted against party policy and as such, had not violated Article 63-A.
