ECP acquits Yousaf Raza Gilani in Senate election video scandal

• ECP says no evidence found against Yousaf Raza Gilani.
• Orders proceedings against Ali Haider Gilani, Faheem Khan and Jamil Ahmad Khan.
• PTI had filed a petition seeking disqualification of PPP Senator-elect Yousuf Raza Gilani last year.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday acquitted Yousaf Raza Gilani, dismissing PTI's petition filed for the disqualification of the PPP leader from the Senate seat.

Announcing its decision today, the commission said that no evidence was found against Yousaf Raza Gilani.

However, the ECP directed the District Election Commissioner Islamabad to take action against Ali Haider Gilani, MNA Faheem Khan and Jamil Ahmad Khan for their involvement in corrupt practices.

The PTI had filed a petition seeking disqualification of PPP Senator-elect Yousuf Raza Gilani last year, asking the electoral body to stop the issuance of the notification confirming Gilani’s victory on a general seat from Islamabad in the Senate elections.

Read more: Yousaf Raza Gillani resigns as Opposition leader in Senate

The petition was filed by PTI’s Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Bokhari and Kanwal Shauzab.

The lawmakers had filed it based on a controversial audio clip of Sindh minister Nasir Hussain Shah purportedly bargaining with four PTI lawmakers for their votes in the Senate elections and a video of Ali Haider Gilani in which he was allegedly explaining some PTI MNAs techniques to waste their votes.

The PPP senator, in a shocking development, defeated the PTI candidate Hafeez Sheikh, triggering a debate in political circles about the cracks in the then ruling coalition which had a majority in the National Assembly.

Later, the then prime minister Imran Khan also took a vote of confidence from the assembly to show that he still enjoys the support of the majority.