Petition to remove Maryam as PML-N VP dismissed

Islamabad, Sep 17 (IANS) The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday dismissed a plea to remove PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz as a Vice President of the party and ruled that she was eligible to hold the position.

A three-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Sardar Raza Khan had reserved its verdict after hearing arguments on Monday.

The petition was filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers including Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Bukhari, Kanwal Shauzab and Javeria Zafar, against her appointment as PML-N Vice President in May, Dawn newspaper reported.

The petition contended that Maryam Nawaz's appointment as Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Vice President was in contravention of constitutional principles since she was convicted in a corruption case (Avenfield reference) filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in July 2018.

Reacting to the ECP's ruling, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that PTI had gone to the poll body with the petition for "cheap publicity".

"Maryam Nawaz does not require any position or designation to help the people of Pakistan," Aurangzeb said, adding: "Maryam's services for the restoration of the Constitution and law is not hidden from anyone (...) she stayed behind for five years and worked on health and education along with (former Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif."

The party spokesperson said that the current government does "small things" like the petition for which they had received a response from the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz's lawyer Barrister Zafarullah said that there "was no such condition in Pakistani law that restricted an individual from holding a party position".

She is currently in the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) physical remand.

The lawyer said that Maryam Nawaz will remain Vice President of PML-N as the ECP had dismissed PTI's petition.