ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday officially de-notified 25 dissident lawmakers of the PTI who had voted for PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz in the Punjab chief minister’s election.

The votes of the dissidents had played a key role in the election of Mr Shehbaz, who had secured a total of 197 votes against 186 required to achieve simple majority.

Since these 25 lawmakers are no longer members of the Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shehbaz has lost majority.

The dissident lawmakers were: Raja Sagheer Ahmed, Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangha, Saeed Akbar Khan, Mohammad Ajmal, Abdul Aleem Khan, Nazir Ahmed Chohan, Mohammad Amin Zulqernain, Malik Nauman Langrial, Mohammad Salman, Zawar Hussain Warraich, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Fida Hussain, Zahra Batool, Mohammad Tahir, Aisha Nawaz, Sajida Yousaf, Haroon Imran Gill, Uzma Kardar, Malik Asad Ali, Ijaz Masih, Mohammad Sabtain Raza, Mohsin Atta Khan Khosa, Mian Khalid Mehmood, Mehar Mohammad Aslam and Faisal Hayat.

The de-notification came after a letter was written to the Chief Election Commissioner by PTI’s lawyer Faisal Fareed seeking de-notification of defectors and notifying replacements for five members elected on reserved seats.

“……..in the province of Punjab, the so-called chief minister of Punjab has lost majority in the provincial assembly at once. Therefore, his illegal, unlawful and stubborn behaviour has ignited a constitutional impasse that needs immediate arrest to save the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, from continuous violation on the part of Mr Hamza Shahbaz Sharif,” the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, read.

The letter sought to de-notify three women lawmakers: Uzma Kardar, Aisha Nawaz and Sajida Yousaf and notify Batool Janjua, Siara Raza and Fouzia Abbass who were next in the priority list.

Likewise, it sought de-notification of de-seated minority MPAs Haroon Imran Gill and Ijaz Masih and notification of Habkook Gill and Samuel Yaqoob in their place.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2022