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ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday allowed three candidates belonging to the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek (AAT) — who are on a UN terror watch list, according to the interior ministry — to contest elections, stating that the winners amongst them would be de-notified if found ineligible.
The commission ordered the three election candidates to submit copies of their computerised national identity cards (CNICs) and passports. A three-member ECP bench — headed by Abdul Ghaffar Soomro — heard the case.
The candidates — Mohammad Ashraf of NA-149 constituency in Sahiwal, Zafar Iqbal of the PP-113 constituency in Faisalabad, and Ehsan Ranjha from the PP-67 constituency in Mandi Bahauddin — appeared before the ECP on Tuesday. No representative from the interior ministry appeared before the bench.
The counsel for the AAT candidates argued that it was unfair to summon them just a day before polling day.
The bench asked the candidates to submit the copies of their CNICs and passports along with a written response to the ECP. The hearing was adjourned until August 29.
The ECP had taken notice of the matter last week and had issued a notice to all three candidates, ordering them to appear before the body. The notices — titled “Pakistan’s commitments under FATF and participation of MML in the general elections 2018 from Allahu Akbar Tehreek”— informed the candidates that in case of their failure to appear before the ECP, the matter would be decided in their absence.
The proscribed Milli Muslim League (MML) — a political face of Jamaatud Dawa led by Hafiz Saeed — had been denied enlistment with the ECP, following which it decided to contest the polls under the platform of AAT.
Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2018
