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Pakistan parliament's opposition leaders ousted after court orders

Omer Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz—opposition leaders in National Assembly and Senate, respectively— de-seated after they were sentenced to 10 years in jail each in 3 cases related to attacks on military installations

Amir Latif Arain  | 05.08.2025 - Update : 05.08.2025
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."


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