By Syed Shahabuddin
Swat: The Federal Constitutional Court has granted interim relief to Sohail Sultan, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member of the National Assembly from NA-4 Swat, in a disqualification case linked to the 2024 general elections.
The court restrained the Election Commission of Pakistan from taking any further action against the lawmaker until further notice. It also issued notices to the ECP and other relevant parties and adjourned the matter for constitutional review.
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The disqualification reference was sent to the ECP by the Speaker of the National Assembly after allegations that Sohail Sultan contested the 2024 elections without completing the mandatory two-year cooling-off period following his service as an Assistant Advocate General
During the hearing, counsel for Sohail Sultan, Barrister Gohar, argued that under Article 199 of the Constitution, a constitutional petition becomes maintainable only after the completion of elections. He further contended that the Speaker of the National Assembly had no legal authority to forward a disqualification reference in the matter.
The lawyer cited the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling in the Nawaz Sharif case to support his arguments.
Earlier, Sohail Sultan had challenged the proceedings initiated by the ECP before the Peshawar High Court, but the petition was dismissed, allowing the ECP to continue its inquiry. However, the Federal Constitutional Court’s interim order has now suspended those proceedings.
The interim decision provides Sohail Sultan temporary legal protection regarding his National Assembly seat. The court will decide the constitutional validity of the case after hearing detailed arguments from all parties at a later stage.
