Yousaf Raza Gilani to remain a senator, ECP rules

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ruled on Friday that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani will remain a senator, Aaj News reported.

The ECP announced its reserved verdict and dismissed a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The commission said that the facts of the case were not presented properly and there was no direct evidence against the PPP leader.

Last year, PTI leaders Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Ali Bukhari and Kanwal Shauzab had filed a petition in the commission requesting it to stop notifying Gilani as senator following the Senate election.

Gilani’s victory notification: ECP rejects PTI’s demand

The petition alleged that Ali Haider Gilani, Member of Punjab Assembly from Multan, was seen in a video telling some parliamentarians how to lose votes to favour his father in the Senate elections. He was also seen giving them numbers for writing on the ballot.

They said that matter was extremely important as a senator elected via corrupt practices was aspiring to become the chairman of Senate -- Yousaf Raza had contested for the office of Senate chairman at the time, but was unsuccessful as the presiding officer of the election had rejected seven votes cast in his favour.

He had received 42 valid votes, while Sadiq Sanjrani bagged 48 votes and won the election. The Islamabad High Court (IHC), had also turned down his intra-court appeal (ICA) challenging the rejections of the seven votes.

The petitioners said Gilani and his son had committed corrupt practices and deserved punishment under Section 174 of the Election Act and requested that Yousaf Raza be disqualified for violating the constitution by engaging in criminal activities with his son.

Illegal advertising contract: NAB granted time to submit reply in response to Gilani’s plea

Last week, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against Yousaf Raza and others for alleged misuse of authority in illegal publicity campaign, causing a loss of Rs128 million to the national exchequer.

Meanwhile, in its verdict today, the ECP has ordered the District Election Commissioner to register a case against Ali Haider for corrupt practice.