MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Friday notified disqualification of a ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker in accordance with a judgement of the AJK Supreme Court.

“Pursuant to the judgement dated September 25, 2019, delivered by the AJK Supreme Court and in compliance of Supreme Court’s order dated October 3, 2019, the Election Commission hereby notifies disqualification of Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed as Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) with effect from Sept 25, 2019,” read a notification issued by the commission.

“Consequently, the Election Commission’s notification dated July 22, 2016 stands rescinded to the extent of declaring Mr Saeed as returned candidate from LA-III, Mirpur-3 with effect from September 25, 2019,” added the notification.

Mr Saeed, who is also a former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries, had defeated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s regional president and former prime minister Barrister Sultan Mahmood in July 2016 polls, despite being a novice in electoral politics.

He was appointed as minister for sports, youth, culture, Mirpur Development Authority and Mangla Dam affairs by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in November 2016.

He was tried by a division bench of the AJK apex court, comprising Chief Justice Chaudhry Mohammad Ibrahim Zia and Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan, on an application filed by a Mirpur resident last year, alleging that he had encroached upon the state land which “amounted to contempt of a previous apex court judgement”.

Mr Saeed had placed himself at the mercy of the court from the day by tendering unconditional apology and surrendering the allegedly encroached land.

However, his mercy pleas were turned down by the bench as untenable because“the occupant was not an ordinary citizen but a minister and that he had also admitted unlawful occupation”.

On September 25 - a day after Mirpur was struck by a devastating earthquake – decision on the application was announced by the bench in an open court, whereby Mr Saeed was disqualified from being elected or chosen as and from being a member of the Legislative Assembly for a period of five years.

Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider said on Friday that “he would post his comments on this decision in two to three days.”

It was not clear whether Mr Haider was referring to the decision [notification] of the election commission or that of the apex court.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2019