Abbasi says party delisted by ECP unilaterally

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Tuesday that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unilaterally decided to de-list his political party, which was enlisted in January last year, without giving the defence side a chance to explain their side. “We were not given an opportunity to be heard, ” Abbasi told a five-member full ECP bench that heard the case on his appeal regarding the “unwarranted delisting” of Awaam Pakistan political party by the ECP. During the hearing, Abbasi told the bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, that the ECP notified the delisting of Awaam Pakistan last month without giving the defence side an opportunity to be heard. “This is decision is not right—it is unwarranted, ” he said. Abbasi said the Awaam Pakistan held its intra-party elections on January 7 this year, within the 60-day stipulated period, as ordered by the ECP. Still, he said, the Commission proceeded to unilaterally decide delisting the political party for not holding the intra-party elections. The bench was of the view that the defence side did not submit sufficient evidence to the ECP regarding the conduct of intra-party elections. To a query posed by the CEC regarding the submission of the record related to intra-party elections, Abbasi replied that they would submit the record to the ECP at the earliest. The bench reserved its verdict in the case, likely to be announced in the coming days. On January 9, 2025, the ECP notified the enlistment of Awaam Pakistan with Abbasi as its Convenor and former finance minister Mifta Ismail as its Secretary. The notification revealed that Abbasi secured “11 out of 14” votes, and Ismail secured “13 out of 15” votes to get their respective party positions. Once regarded as one of the most trusted confidantes of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) chief and former PM Nawaz Sharif, Abbasi parted ways with PML-N after he developed serious differences with the party leadership reportedly stemming from Sharif’s stay in London instead of facing corruption cases against him back home, before finally returning to Pakistan in October 2024. Abbasi was elevated as PM when Sharif was disqualified from holding any public office by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case in July 2017. Abbasi served as PM from August 1, 2017 till May 31, 2018. He is among those leaders who have strongly criticised the establishment and PML-N over allegedly unprecedented rigging in February 8 general elections. The ex-premier has supported the demand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that its mandate “stolen in February 8 general elections” be returned to it. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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