Islamabad, November 25,2025: A hearing at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday witnessed sharp exchanges as lawyers for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi challenged the Commission’s jurisdiction in a case accusing him of intimidating election staff ahead of the Haripur by-election.
The ECP initiated the proceedings after Afridi allegedly issued threatening remarks during a public rally in Abbottabad, warning officials of consequences if election-day misconduct occurred. The Commission said the statements endangered the “safety of polling staff, police and voters,” and potentially violated the code of conduct prohibiting public officeholders from influencing elections.
The hearing began with complaints from lawyer Ali Bukhari and the Advocate General KP, who said lawyers were mishandled at the ECP entrance. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja apologised and assured action against those responsible, explaining that gate restrictions were due to security protocols.
The CEC also held an informal exchange with lawyer Naeem Panjhutha, noting that he had received a vote from Raja’s own household — to which Panjhutha replied he was aware.
Special Secretary ECP said Article 218(3) empowered the Commission to act to ensure free and fair elections, adding that proceedings against the KP chief minister would continue under the law.
Bukhari, however, argued the ECP lacked jurisdiction, noting that the District Monitoring Officer (DMO) in Haripur had already issued a notice and summoned him for November 27. He questioned whether two forums could hear the same matter simultaneously. Afridi has already approached the Peshawar High Court, calling the ECP notice “malicious” and issued without the mandatory DMO report.
He further argued that the petition filed by Babar Nawaz, the by-poll candidate, should be heard together with his own plea, warning that summoning a chief minister over a political rally in Abbottabad would “open a new Pandora’s box.”
Bukhari questioned whether the ECP would summon the prime minister or Punjab chief minister for similar actions, noting that Punjab’s chief minister had recently announced development projects worth Rs2.5 billion in Hassan Abdal. He argued that other code-of-conduct violations had gone unchecked.
The controversy has already sparked political reaction, with PML-N leaders accusing Afridi of issuing direct threats to election officials. Punjab Information Minister Uzma Bukhari called him “a habitual liar,” referring to his alleged warning that officers “would not see tomorrow’s sun.”
Responding, the CEC said action would be taken “without discrimination,” adding that even the prime minister would be issued a notice if he made such remarks before an election. He said ministers and candidates in several constituencies had already been summoned for code-of-conduct violations.
Counsel for Babar Nawaz, Sajeel Swati, insisted the KP chief minister had clearly threatened election staff and argued that ECP authority did not end merely because a monitoring officer had imposed a fine.
Afridi’s legal team pressed the Commission to first decide the case’s maintainability. They argued that a similar petition was already pending before the ECP in KP and that identical cases could not proceed at two forums. They maintained there had been no interference in the election and that Afridi would not need to appear again.
Senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja said the chief minister had complied with the law by appearing before the Commission and added that a White Paper on the Haripur by-poll would be issued soon.
The ECP directed Afridi’s counsel to file a written reply at the next hearing and said it would issue an appropriate order on maintainability. The Commission granted Afridi exemption from personal appearance and adjourned the case until December 4.
Later, Afridi’s lawyer formally challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction, after which the Commission reserved its decision on the chief minister’s application.
The case originates from complaints filed by by-election candidate Babar Nawaz, who accused Afridi of using his office to intimidate the administration — a charge the ECP earlier asked its provincial chapter and KP police chief to review.
