ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has de-notified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Muhammad Mian Soomro as Member National Assembly.

Last week, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had declared the seat of Muhammad Mian Soomro as vacant due to his forty days consecutive absence without seeking leave from the Lower House of Parliament.

The politician had also asked the NA speaker to be granted leave due to his engagements and the local government elections. The speaker said that the request was made after the passage of the stipulated timeframe.

Ashraf then presented the matter in the form of a motion before the lower house, which then approved it with a majority vote. This was the first time that a lawmaker lost his seat due to a motion being passed by parliament.

Soomro was elected from NA-196, Jacobabad in 2018 general elections, securing more than 92,000 votes while Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani came second with over 86,000 votes. Jhakrani was later elected to Sindh Assembly and became provincial minister for jails.

He served as Minister for Privatization in the cabinet of former prime minister Imran Khan which was ousted in April this year. He has also served previously as Senate Chairman, interim prime minister and acting President of Pakistan.

NA-196 Jacobabad seat has now been declared vacant and the electoral body will soon issue a schedule for by-polls for the constituency. It needs to be seen if PTI Chairman Imran Khan will opt to contest by-elections from the constituency in Sindh as he has announced to contest all polls until general elections are announced.

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