The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) yesterday dismissed a petition seeking the disqualification of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Sharif from holding party office.
Maryam Sharif can stay on as vice president of the PML-N, the verdict of the election commission said. A three-member bench of the ECP had earlier reserved the verdict in the
disqualification on Monday.
Chief Election Commissioner Muhamed Raza Khan announced the verdict yesterday. The petition for disqualification had been filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Malika Bukhari, Farrukh Habib and Kanwal Shauzab.
In August, the ECP had postponed the verdict challenging the appointment of Maryam Sharif as PML-N vice-
president.
The ECP bench hearing the case had ordered that lawyers be given additional assistance in the case and said they needed more understanding of the Supreme Court verdict and Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
On May 9, the PTI had filed a petition and contended that Maryam Sharif could not hold any party position as she was convicted by a court of law on July 6, 2018, in a corruption case (Avenfield reference), filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Earlier this month, an accountability court in Lahore had extended Maryam Sharif’s remand by 14 days. Maryam had appeared before the court in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.
Yousaf Abbas, a cousin of Maryam who was also arrested by NAB the same day, was produced before the court alongside the PML-N leader and was also remanded into the accountability watchdog’s custody for
14 days.
Maryam Sharif
