Supreme Court Overturns ECP’s Disqualification of PML-N Lawmaker Adil Bazai
He contested from NA-262 in Quetta and reportedly won as an independent candidate before later joining PML-N.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has the Election Commission’s (ECP) decision to disqualify Adil Bazai, a lawmaker from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
This ruling was made on December 12, 2024, with the court stating that the ECP could not adequately justify its actions against Bazail.
Adil Bazai is officially recognized as a member of the PML-N but has been seen frequently on the opposition benches, often criticizing the government. His political affiliations have raised questions, particularly regarding which party supported him during the February 8 general election.
He contested from NA-262 in Quetta and reportedly won as an independent candidate before later joining PML-N. However, he submitted an affidavit to the ECP shortly after the election, which claimed allegiance to PML-N.
The ECP disqualified Bazai on November 21, citing “floor-crossing” violations. This decision followed references filed by the Speaker of the National Assembly, alleging that Bazai had violated party policy by switching sides after his election,
During the Supreme Court hearings, Bazai’s lawyer argued that a fraudulent affidavit had been submitted in his name and called for a forensic audit. The court questioned whether the ECP had jurisdiction over matters already addressed by civil courts and emphasized that disqualifying a member from the assembly was a serious action requiring thorough examination.
The SC bench upheld Bazai’s appeal against the ECP’s ruling to disqualify him under Article 63A, reinstating him to his position and declaring the ECP’s decision to remove him from Quetta’s NA-262 constituency as null and void.
