ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday halted the by-election for the vacant Senate seat of PTI leader Murad Saeed and issued a stay order after a petition challenged the legality of the de-notification process, adjourning further proceedings.

A three-member bench of the ECP heard the petition regarding the matter and issued notices to all concerned parties.

During the hearing, the lawyer for petitioner MPA Jalal Khan appeared before the commission and stated that Saeed had been elected senator but did not take the oath of office.

He argued, “Since Saeed did not take the oath, questions arise over how he was de-notified as a member,” adding that a person is considered a member of the house only after taking the oath.

The petitioner’s counsel further requested the ECP to postpone the by-election and remove the existing ambiguity in the matter.

After hearing the arguments, the ECP accepted the request and put the scheduled April 23 by-election on hold, issuing a stay order and adjourning the case until May 7.

Later, the ECP also suspended Saeed’s March 25 disqualification order “until further orders”. The ECP had disqualified Saeed from his Senate seat following his conviction in a May 9 case.

The ECP’s notification regarding Saeed’s disqualification mentioned his sentencing by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on March 7.

Saeed was named among 47 proclaimed offenders sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in the May 9 General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case by a Rawalpindi ATC.

In a notification dated March 25 and available with Dawn, the ECP cited the court’s March 7 order, stating: “Murad Saeed, notified as returned candidate on a general seat of Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province [..] has become disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and is hereby de-notified. Resultantly, his seat has become vacant.”

Saeed was elected as a senator in July 2025.