PTI's petition against Maryam Nawaz: ECP to announce verdict on Aug 27

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

A three-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan will announce the verdict on August 27.

The petition was filed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (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).

PTI petitions ECP against Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as PML-N vice-president

Petition by PTI states Maryam Nawaz’s appointment as PML-N vice-president is in contradiction of the constitution

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. 

In a major party reshuffle earlier this year, Maryam was made one of the 16 vice-presidents of the party along with Hamza Shehbaz. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was appointed as senior vice president of PML-N, while Ahsan Iqbal was made general secretary.