Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi on Wednesday sent a reference to the Election Commission against 26 dissident Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs with a request to disqualify them for lifetime over violating the party’s discipline, showing disloyalty, violating the norms of democracy. The ECP received the reference filed under Article 63A (1) (b) (i) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. The reference was earlier sent to the speaker on behalf of former prime minister Imran Khan, contending that the 26 lawmakers had “violated Article 63A(1)(b)(i) of the Constitution through participating in the voting on April 16, and casting their votes in favour of now chief minister Punjab Hamza Shehbaz. It noted that on account of their votes, Elahi lost the election. The MPAs, by violating the said Article, became disqualified from being elected as members of the legislature in the country. Meanwhile, while commenting on the reference, Pervaiz Elahi – who is also senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) – asked for taking the reference to a logical conclusion. He said that the defected lawmakers neither had legal status nor respect among the masses. He observed that the PTI leadership had taken a bold step against the politics of turncoats. Elahi hoped that an early decision in this regard will discourage those with vested interests and ‘lotacracy’ in national politics. The 26 dissident MPAs include Abdul Aleem Khan, Malik Numan Langrial, Nazir Ahmad Chohan, Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangha, Malik Saeed Akbar Khan, Muhammad Ajmal, Faisal Hayat, Mehar Muhammad Aslam, Mian Khalid Mehmood, Muhammad Amin Zulqarnain, Muhammad Salman, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, Muhammad Tahir, Aisha Nawaz, Sajida Yousaf, Haroon Imran Gill, Uzma Kardar, Mlaik Asad Ali, Ijaz Masih, Muhammad Sabtain Raza, Javeed Akhtar and Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa.