ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) directed some 20 dissident MPs from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to submit their written responses on references seeking their disqualification under Article 63-A of the Constitution over defection from their party.
Article 63-A, the law on floor-crossing, provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party.
Article 63-A reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill (budget) or a Constitution (amendment) bill”.
Last month, over a dozen of PTI lawmakers withdrew their support for Khan ahead of the no-confidence vote against him which saw him joining a lengthening list of elected prime ministers who have failed to see out their full terms; none has done so since independence in 1947.
The top election agency also reserved its ruling on an objection raised by the counsel of Noor Alam Khan, a dissident PTI MP, who said that the commission could not hear the references at present as it was incomplete since two of its members had retired.
However, Faisal Chaudhry, the counsel for the PTI, countered the objection raised by Khan’s counsel, he said that the agency had complete authority to make a decision on the references.
“Election commission is not responsible for the commission being incomplete,” he argued.
Chaudhry also underlined that the ECP was supposed to decide on the references within 30 days.
During the hearing, while presenting his arguments, the lawyer contended that his client had not violated Article 63-A as he did not vote on the no-trust motion.
Subsequently, the commission adjourned the hearing until May 6.
