ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified on Monday Anita Irfan of PML-N as a member of the Balochistan Assembly on the seat reserved for non-Muslims.

The seat had fallen vacant after Santosh Kumar of the same party became the first victim of the anti-defection law in the recent parliamentary history. Article 63-A relating to disqualification on grounds of defection was inserted into the Constitution in 2010 through 18th Amendment which came into effect after 2013 elections.

Mr Kumar lost his seat on the basis of a reference sent by Balochistan Assembly Speaker Jan Mohammad Jamali.

The speaker had been asked by the provincial president of PML-N and the party’s parliamentary leader in the assembly, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, to act against Mr Kumar for remaining absent from the house proceedings for a year and violating party policies.

According to PML-N sources, Mr Kumar was issued several notices by the party leadership to explain reasons for his continuing absence but he reportedly ignored the notices.

The provincial chief of the party tabled a resolution in the house seeking Mr Kumar’s disqualification, but PML-N’s coalition partners, the National Party and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, did not support it. Mr Zehri was advised to take up the matter with the ECP.

Since Ms Irfan was second on the priority list of the PML-N, the ECP has announced her as returned candidate.

Published in Dawn, November 25th , 2014