Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce its reserved verdict on Tuesday (today) on a petition challenging the appointment of Maryam Nawaz as the vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

It was for the second time the ECP reserved its judgement in the case. It had first reserved it on Aug 1 and had set Aug 27 as the date for its pronouncement. But in an unusual move, the commission deferred the judgement, asking the counsel for both sides to assist it on whether or not the bar on a convict from holding office of the president of a political party also applies to the vice president, in the light of a recent judgement of the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz lawyer Barrister Zafrullah Khan while presenting his arguments said the Article 62 and 63 cannot be read with the clause 203 of Election Act. While citing the case of Benazir Bhutto, he argued that according to Article 17 and Benazir Bhutto’s case the constitution cannot be read with any clause of the law.

On May 4, Maryam was appointed the vice-presidents of the PML-N along with 15 other leaders, day after party President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif stepped down as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

On May 9, PTI lawmakers Barrister Malika Bukhari, Farrukh Habib, Kanwal Shauzab and Javeria Zafar filed a petition, saying Ms Maryam’s appointment was against the law.

The petitioners also said that the PML-N leader had been declared disqualified for any political or public office.