File photo, courtesy JUIF
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday sought a probe into the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notifying an “unknown” woman on the party’s reserved seat in the National Assembly, stressing the individual was not a member of the party.
Earlier, the electoral body had issued a notification declaring Sadaf Ehsan the recipient of the JUIF’s reserved seat for women in the National Assembly from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In his response, Fazl has sought the suspension of the notification and an investigation into the error.
“Sadaf Sultan is neither our party [JUIF] member nor named in our list,” read the plea. “Notification for Sadaf Ehsan should be suspended and Ms. Hina Bibi should be notified [on the reserved seat],” it added.
The plea also questions whether Sadaf’s notification was issued in error or whether there was a larger conspiracy at play.
Since the general elections on Feb. 8, Fazl has repeatedly slammed alleged electoral rigging in the polls, maintaining his party was denied its fair share in Parliament. As part of the party’s stance, it refused to participate in the vote for either the prime minister or president, and has hinted at protest demonstrations if its concerns are not addressed.
Last week, after deciding against granting the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council its share of reserved seats, the ECP had allocated reserved seats in the National Assembly and all four provincial assemblies to the remaining parties. In a notification, the electoral body had said eight women’s reserved seats in the National Assembly from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would be occupied by PMLN’s Sobia Shahid, Ghazala Anjum, Shela Bano and Shaheen; PPP’s Asma Alamgir and Naeema Kanwal; and Naeema Kishwar and Sadaf Ehsan of JUIF.