Election Commission dismisses PTI pleas seeking Makhdoom Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's disqualification.

ISLAMABAD -- The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers' petitions to disqualify former prime minister Senator Makhdoom Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani over "corrupt practices", saying he had no link to the case.

However, the ECP ordered the district election commissioner Islamabad to start a criminal case under Sections 167 (corrupt practices) and 168 (bribery) of the Elections Act, 2017 against Gilani's son Punjab Assembly lawmaker Ali Haider Gilani, as well as PTI MNAs Faheem Khan and Captain (retired) Jamil Ahmed Khan.

In its order, the Election Commission stated that it had been "proved" that Ali, Faheem and Jamil had indulged in corrupt practices, adding the punishment under Sections 167 and 168 could be up to three years in jail or a fine of Rs100,000 or both.

While reading out the reserved verdict on Friday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja said the facts of the case were not presented properly. He noted that 20 hearings had been conducted and applications for adjournment were filed 12 times.

Following the Senate elections on March 3 last year, PTI lawmakers Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Ali Bokhari, Kanwal Shauzab and Alia Hamza Malik had filed a petition in the ECP, asking it to not issue the notification for Gilani's victory.

However, the ECP had rejected the plea...

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