A petition has been filed in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking the disqualification of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for allegedly supporting a specific group in the upcoming Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council elections.
The petition, submitted by Advocate Mian Subghatullah Shah, who is contesting the Bar Council elections, accuses Chief Minister Afridi of using his official position to back candidates from the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF).
According to the petition, Chief Minister Afridi’s possible participation in an ILF ceremony scheduled for October 29 at the Peshawar High Court demonstrates his partisan involvement in the elections of a professional body — a move the petitioner claims is in violation of the principles of neutrality required from a sitting chief minister.
The petitioner argues that as the province’s top executive, Sohail Afridi “cannot support any particular group or party” in the Bar Council elections and has therefore violated his oath of office.
In his plea, Advocate Mian Subghatullah Shah has requested that Sohail Afridi be disqualified both from his position as Chief Minister and as a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
The petition also seeks interim relief, urging the Election Commission to bar the Chief Minister from attending the ILF event on October 29 until a decision is made in the case.
The Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to review the petition and determine whether the allegations warrant further proceedings.