The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has stopped the by-election process in the NA-1 Chitral constituency while hearing a petition filed against the disqualification of Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Abdul Latif Chitrali.
The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Waqar Ahmad. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Muazzam Butt, argued that Abdul Akbar Chitrali had been convicted by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), following which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified him and announced a schedule for a by-election in the constituency.
The lawyer informed the court that the petitioner had surrendered himself to authorities and that his appeal against the conviction is currently pending before the Islamabad High Court. He urged the PHC to halt the by-election process until the appeal is decided.
Meanwhile, Additional Director General (Law) of the Election Commission, Khurram Shehzad, requested the court to adjourn the case until next week, assuring that the ECP would present its arguments in the next hearing.
After hearing the preliminary arguments, the Peshawar High Court issued notices to the Election Commission and ordered the suspension of the by-election process in NA-1 Chitral until further orders.
