Islamabad, May 31, 2025: In a significant political move ahead of the upcoming budget session, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has forwarded a disqualification reference against Leader of the Opposition Umar Ayub to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The ECP has scheduled the first hearing of the reference for Wednesday, June 4, and has issued notices to both Umar Ayub and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Babar Nawaz Khan, who initially brought the allegations forward.
According to official sources within the National Assembly, the reference is based on charges of electoral rigging, financial corruption, and misrepresentation of facts in documents submitted to the ECP, particularly related to NA-18 Haripur — the constituency contested by Umar Ayub in the 2024 General Elections.
Babar Nawaz, a former MNA and political rival of Ayub, had filed a petition with the ECP on May 11, 2024, alleging massive rigging in the constituency and calling for a thorough investigation. He also accused Ayub of submitting false information in his nomination papers and engaging in financial misconduct during and after the elections.
The ECP will simultaneously resume hearings on Babar Nawaz’s earlier petition during the June 4 proceedings.
This latest development adds to the mounting political tensions in Islamabad, with the federal budget set to be unveiled in the coming days. Legal experts say the timing of the reference could have serious implications for parliamentary dynamics, especially if the opposition leader faces suspension or disqualification.
