By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified Abdul Latif, a member of the National Assembly from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, following his conviction by an anti-terrorism court for his role in a violent attack on a police station.
The decision, which marks the latest in a string of disqualifications targeting PTI lawmakers, has intensified concerns about the speed and political implications of such actions, coming just a day after three other party members, including a senator and the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, faced similar fates.
Latif, who represents the NA-1 constituency encompassing Upper and Lower Chitral, was stripped of his parliamentary seat under Article 63(1h) of the Constitution, which mandates disqualification upon a criminal conviction by a court of law.
The ECP’s notification, issued pursuant to its July 29 order, declared the seat vacant, citing the finality of the judicial verdict against him. The disqualification stems from a May ruling by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad, which sentenced Latif and four others to 27 years in prison for their involvement in the May 9, 2023, attack on the Ramna police station.
ATC Special Court-II Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra found the accused guilty of arson, violence, and assaulting law enforcement personnel during riots that erupted that day. The verdict, delivered on May 30, 2023, has since attained finality, forming the legal basis for the ECP’s action.
On Tuesday, a five-member ECP bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, convened to address the case. The panel heard a reference, a representation, and a complaint seeking to unseat Latif based on the ATC’s decision. After reserving its judgment earlier in the day, the commission published its ruling on its website after office hours.
The notification leaned on precedent. “Deriving wisdom from the referred judgement wherein it has been held that ‘where there is a conviction recorded by a competent court against a person who is a member of the Parliament which has attained finality, the role and function of the Election Commission is confined to issuing notification of disqualification of the concerned member on the basis of the verdict of the Court.’”
Latif, known for his outspoken demeanor, has vehemently denied the charges. He alleged that his conviction was politically motivated, claiming it was retaliation for rejecting a Rs2 billion bribe offered to secure his support for the “controversial” 26th Constitutional Amendment. “This is an act of vengeance,” he said.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from PTI leadership, amplifying tensions in Pakistan’s already polarized political landscape. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, a prominent PTI leader, warned that “democracy is at stake” amid what he described as a troubling pattern of disqualifications targeting party members.
Speaking to a local television channel, he expressed dismay over the conduct of political trials, suggesting that “we could see the writing on the wall” from the outset. He called on the ECP to “follow the Constitution and the law” rather than merely justifying its actions.
A senior ECP official, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered clarification on the legal mechanics of the disqualification process. “Under the Constitution, a parliamentarian stands disqualified from office following a conviction,” the official said. While acknowledging that the right to appeal remains intact, the official emphasized that the disqualified member’s seat stays vacant pending a judicial reversal. Even if a high court grants interim relief by suspending the sentence, the disqualification holds firm, the official added. However, should a higher court overturn the conviction entirely, the ECP would restore Mr. Latif’s victory notification, reinstating his status as an elected representative.
The rapid succession of disqualifications—four PTI lawmakers in two days—has fueled speculation about the motives driving these decisions. For PTI supporters, the pattern suggests a concerted effort to weaken the party, which has faced mounting legal and political challenges since losing power.
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