(Haseeb Bhatti/Dawn)
PTI chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday submitted a petition in Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision which allowed MNA Ayesha Gulalai to retain her National Assembly’s membership.
Khan in his petition claimed that Gulalai had violated party laws and should be deseated as she had abstained from voting for the PTI’s chosen candidate, Sheikh Rasheed, for the office of prime minister after the ouster of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif.
It said that Khan had issued a show-cause notice and gave Gulalai ample time to explain herself following her August press conference, where she had levelled scathing allegations against the PTI chief.
The ECP, however, had ruled that Gulalai had not been given reasonable opportunity to explain herself, the appellant had failed to prove that she had resigned and her absence does not amount to abstention.
Gulalai claimed that she had not participated in the vote due to an illness, but the PTI had presented a record of television talk shows on which she had appeared at the time of the session to speak about her decision to leave the party.
The lawmaker made the announcement moments before the election of a new prime minister, citing “ill-treatment” of women in the party as the reason behind her decision. She had claimed that she had communicated her grievances to the party leadership but no action had been taken.
A committee was also formed by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasito investigate Gulalai’s allegations against the PTI chief.
