PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi challenging a notice issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
A two-member bench comprising Justice Arshad Ali and Justice Faheem Wali announced the reserved verdict after hearing arguments from the chief minister’s counsel and the ECP representative.
During the hearing, the ECP maintained that the petition was premature and not maintainable, arguing that no action had yet been taken against the chief minister and that the inquiry was still at an initial stage.
The commission said the chief minister had been issued a notice on November 25, 2025, in connection with alleged statements against election staff and attempts to influence the electoral process.
Counsel for Chief Minister Sohail Afridi argued that the speech in question had been delivered outside the limits of NA-18. He said the District Monitoring Officer (DMO) had issued a notice under Section 234, while the ECP had also issued a notice under Section 15.
The lawyer further argued that the ECP had clubbed a private complaint with the matter and initiated proceedings on its own. He alleged that the powers of the DMO were effectively being exercised by the ECP as well, resulting in overlapping proceedings.
The ECP, however, maintained that the notice had been issued within its jurisdiction. It explained that a DMO could impose a penalty and forward the matter to the commission, which then decides it within three days.
Justice Arshad Ali observed that the proceedings were currently only an inquiry and that no final action had been taken against the petitioner.
“There is no legal bar preventing the Election Commission from conducting an inquiry,” the judge remarked.
The bench also questioned the seriousness being attached to a political statement, with Justice Arshad Ali observing that politicians, lawyers and even judges and chief justices often face strong remarks during speeches.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that initiation of proceedings by the ECP could ultimately lead to the chief minister’s disqualification. He also referred to an earlier complaint filed against Captain Safdar for campaigning in the same constituency, claiming that no inquiry or hearing had been conducted in that matter.
The ECP urged the court to dismiss the petition, maintaining that it had merely initiated the legal process and that the petition had been filed prematurely.
After hearing the arguments, the Peshawar High Court announced its reserved decision and dismissed Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s petition against the ECP notice.
