The Islamabad High Court (IHC) declared on Friday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Umar Amin Gandapur eligible for contesting Dera Ismail Khan’s City Mayor elections, Aaj News reported.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah accepted Umar's plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) verdict and said that the ECP's decision was illegal. The IHC also allowed former KPK's minister for transport Shah Muhammad Wazir to take part in the elections.

Earlier, the ECP had disqualified Umar, brother of Minister of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur, from contesting local body elections.

The ECP barred him after his repeated violations of the election code of conduct despite warnings.

Mayor elections of D I Khan: IHC suspends ECP’s Gandapur disqualification decision

Later, Umar filed a petition through his counsels Barrister Ali Zafar and Chaudhary Ashraf Gujjar advocate and challenged the decision of the ECP barring him from contesting the elections of DI Khan’s City Mayor.

Ali Zafar submitted that the petitioner was running his election campaign by duly abiding by the code of conduct and enabling provisions of the Election laws. He argued that his client’s rights under Section 234 of the Election laws have been violated for stopping him from contesting the elections.

A single bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah then suspended the ECP’s decision.