The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a reference filed against disqualification of disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentarian Ayesha Gulalai. A five-member bench of the ECP, headed by the chief election commissioner (CEC), conducted the hearing of the reference filed by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq for deseating the member of National Assembly. The reference had been filed on the request of Chairman PTI Imran Khan.
In his arguments, Khan's lawyer Advocate Sikander Mohmand contended that Gulalai violated party laws and, therefore, she should be deseated. He said that Gulalai violated party laws by abstaining from voting for PTI's designated candidate in the election for the office of prime minister. The lawyer told the bench that on July 29, a PTI session was held at Khan's Bani Gala residence where it was decided that the party would field Sheikh Rashid as its candidate for the prime minister's office.
Gulalai stated that she didn't participate in the voting process for the prime minister in the National Assembly due to her illness. Refuting Gulalai's statement, the lawyer presented a record of television talk shows before the ECP in which she had appeared on a TV channel at the time of the NA session to speak about her decision to leave the PTI.