ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif after objection was raised over the party’s registration under the name of a disqualified parliamentarian.
Nawaz, who was disqualified in the Panamagate verdict last year and later removed from his own party’s presidency, has been asked to appear on July 9.
The ECP sent the summons to Nawaz’s Jati Umra residence. The deposed premier is currently in London tending to his ailing wife, Kulsoom, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2017.
Nawaz and daughter Maryam have vowed to return to the country once she gains consciousness. Begum Kulsoom suffered a cardiac arrest on June 15 and has been on the ventilator since.
In February, an application was submitted to the ECP seeking that the PML-N should be de-notified as “a party can’t be registered with the name of a disqualified person”.
The request was submitted by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Advocate Makhdoom Mohammad Niaz Inqilabi.
It stated that a disqualified person cannot lead or become a member of a political party, however “Nawaz Sharif is incessantly presiding the gatherings from party’s platform”.
According to the plea, PML-N is registered under Nawaz’s name in the ECP. Now that Nawaz stands disqualified, the party cannot be proven registered with the name of a disqualified person.
“Thereby, ECP must denotify PML-N until the Supreme Court’s decision of July 28, 2017, is suspended following a review appeal. Until the decision isn’t suspended, under current circumstances, PML-N cannot remain enrolled at the Election Commission,” the application read further.