The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected on Tuesday a reference filed against estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member and MNA Ayesha Gulalai to disqualify her for violating party rules.

ECP has ruled that Gulalai will remain a member of National Assembly from PTI. Party chairman Imran Khan had claimed in the reference that Gulalai had violated party rules by declining to vote for PTI's chosen candidate, Sheikh Rasheed, in the election for the prime minister’s office after the deposition of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, local media reported.

Earlier, the bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, had reserved its decision after hearing final arguments from Gulalai’s lawyer.

Sikander Mohmand, Imran Khan’s lawyer, said that Gulalai had not attended the assembly session for the election of the new prime minister, saying that she had been sick but on the same day she had held a press conference.

To this, Gulalai’s lawyer, barrister Masroor said, “PTI’s stance that it did not receive the answer to the show cause notice is incorrect.’’