Peshawar High Court gives CM’s counsel last chance to argue plea challenging ECP proceedings

The Peshawar High Court provided Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi's counsel with a final opportunity to present arguments on Friday, concerning a plea challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) proceedings. The court scheduled the next hearing for October 7 and emphasized that no further adjournments would be granted under any circumstances. Afridi is accused of breaching the election code of conduct during the 2026 Haripur by-elections.

The petition was submitted by Afridi early this year against the ECP's actions, but he neglected to address the issue of jurisdiction and maintainability first. Following a hearing, the court granted interim relief to the petitioner and stated that the Election Commission could proceed with the matter, pending further orders.

Advocate Adnan Ali represented Afridi and argued that he had recently joined the case and had not yet reviewed the brief. He requested additional time to prepare and consult his client. The ECP was represented by additional director general (law) Khurram Shahzad and additional director Samran Jehangir. Shahzad argued that the ECP had concluded its arguments, and Afridi's counsel had already presented theirs.

He added that the commission had merely had to decide the matter, rendering the petitioner's petition futile. The ADG pointed out that the proceedings had been postponed six times at the petitioner's request, and further adjournments might not be permitted.

In November 2025, the chief minister and by-election candidate Shehrnaz Omar Ayub, backed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, challenged an ECP notice accusing them of violating the election code of conduct. Afridi contested the notice issued to him on November 20, claiming the chief minister's speech during the by-elections was contrary to the ECP's code of conduct.

The ECP asserted the speech was against the guidelines and was conducted during the polling held on November 23. Afridi requested the high court to dismiss the notice. However, the court dismissed both petitions on November 26, stating they were premature and had not yet received an adverse order against the petitioners.

Afridi alleged that he had delivered a provocative speech in Havelian, Abbottabad, outside the NA-18 Haripur constituency, and that the ECP insisted this speech constituted a threat to state functionaries. He contended that the high court's prior order required the ECP to first decide the jurisdiction issue before proceeding further. The court, however, learned that the ECP intended to decide the jurisdiction issue within the main case, rather than before it.