PTI’s applications rejected; ECP declares PPP leader Dr. Faryal Talpur eligible to hold office

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 (SABAH): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday rejected the disqualification plea against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former president Asif Ali Zaradi’s sister Dr. Faryal Talpur.

ECP has declared PPP leader Dr. Faryal Talpur eligible and it has announced its reserved decision. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers of the Sindh Assembly Arsalan Taj and Rabia Azfar had appealed the ECP against Talpur, accusing her of hiding assets.

However, the Commission has dismissed the plea declaring Talpur eligible to hold office. The ECP had reserved its judgment on October 27 after arguments were completed on the matter. In its judgment, the Commission stated that concrete evidence is required for the disqualification of assembly members which the ECP deemed to be lacking in the case.

“PTI failed to present concrete evidence against Faryal Talpur,” the judgment said. Dr. Faryal Talpur was indicted by an accountability court in Islamabad alongside Asif Zardari and other accused in the mega-money laundering reference pertaining to the fake accounts case in 2020.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also issued arrest warrants for former president Asif Ali Zardari over suspicious transactions worth Rs8 billion in the fake accounts case. Then chairman NAB Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal had particularly faced staunch criticism for issuing arrest warrants to the woman politician.