ECP to announce verdict on plea against Maryam’s party post tomorrow

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved its judgement on a petition challenging the appointment of Maryam Nawaz as vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) which will be announced the verdict tomorrow at 11:00am. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) counsel Advocate Hassan Maan argued that Section 203 should be read with Article 62 and 63. A PTI candidate in South Punjab was dismissed from party designation on the same principle which bars disqualified leaders from holding any position in party, he said. Hassan Maan further added that the Supreme Court said Section 203 was formulated just to benefit one person. The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) lawyer argued that some political parties are headed by their presidents, some by chairman and some by emirs. He continued that the only person which matters is the one having authority, and vice president does not possess any power. The apex court had also mentioned about party head in its verdict, the counsel added while requesting the ECP to dismiss PTI’s petition. Earlier, the petition was filed by the PTI in May this year and contended that Maryam 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). The PML-N leader had requested the ECP to dismiss the plea, arguing that there was no restriction in the Constitution and Election Act on a convicted person holding a party’s vice presidency. Maryam being convicted person cannot hold any party office: Maleeka After the hearing, talking to the journalists, Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka Bukhari said the PML-N counsel today took a U-Turn before election commission when he stated that Maryam Nawaz is not vice president of PML (N). Maleeka Bukhari said Maryam Nawaz being a convicted person cannot hold any party office.