Pakistan parliament's opposition leaders ousted after court orders

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan's top electoral authority on Tuesday disqualified the opposition leaders in both chambers of the parliament following their convictions in a case related to attacks on military installations in 2023.

Omer Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz—opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively—were de-seated after they were sentenced to 10 years in jail each in three cases related to attacks on military installations.

The court announced its decision on a case related to such attacks in northeastern Faisalabad city during protests against the brief arrest of now-incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan in May 2023.

Both belong to Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Another seven lawmakers, including the PTI's parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Zartaj Gul, have also been de-seated on the same ground, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said in a statement.

The ECP's decision coincided with the completion of two years of Khan's incarceration amid countrywide protests on Tuesday.

Khan is currently serving a 14-year jail sentence in the garrison city of Rawalpindi in a corruption case. He is facing a slew of other cases ranging from terrorism to corruption.

The cricketer-turned-politician denies the allegations, calling them a "sham."