ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has officially disqualified several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, including senior leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz. The decision follows their convictions in cases linked to the violent May 9 riots.
The disqualification was issued under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution, which prohibits individuals convicted of certain crimes from holding public office. The ECP released notifications confirming the removal of these lawmakers from their parliamentary seats.
Among the disqualified leaders are National Assembly members Zartaj Gul, Rai Haider Ali, Hamid Raza, and Rai Hassan Nawaz. Provincial lawmakers Ansar Iqbal, Junaid Afzal Sahi, and Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal have also lost their seats.
The action came after an Anti-Terrorism Court in Faisalabad sentenced multiple PTI leaders, including Ayub and Faraz, to 10 years in prison for their involvement in the unrest that erupted after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.
In the same case, some PTI leaders were acquitted. These include Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro. However, Junaid Afzal Sahi was handed a three-year jail term, while Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Sheikh Rashid Shafiq also received 10-year sentences.
The list of convicted individuals further includes names such as Kanwal Shauzab, Farkhunda Kokab, and Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz. Many of them were found guilty of participating in attacks on military and public properties during the May 9 protests.
Earlier on July 22, an ATC in Lahore had sentenced other PTI leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, to 10 years in prison over similar charges. Shah Mahmood Qureshi was acquitted in that case.
The events of May 9, 2023, marked one of Pakistan’s most turbulent political episodes. Protests erupted nationwide after Imran Khan’s arrest, leading to widespread damage to public and military infrastructure. Security forces were deployed across major regions to restore order.
The ECP’s latest move to disqualify PTI lawmakers is expected to impact the party’s parliamentary strength and trigger possible by-elections.
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