ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Saifullah Abro on Friday received legal relief after the Senate chairman dismissed a disqualification reference filed against him, ruling it non-maintainable on technical grounds, despite allegations that he violated party discipline by voting in favour of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
According to parliamentary sources, the reference was rejected because it was signed by the PTI’s parliamentary leader instead of the party head, which is a procedural requirement under the Constitution’s defection clause.
As a result, the reference was deemed defective and was dismissed without being forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Under the defection provisions of Article 63-A, a disqualification reference must carry the signature of the party head.
According to sources, the failure to meet this mandatory requirement rendered the reference technically flawed, leading the Senate chairman to drop the case.
Earlier this month, PTI had moved a reference seeking Abro’s disqualification for allegedly defying the party line by voting in favour of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
PTI Senator Ali Zafar had publicly confirmed the move, writing on X: “Saifullah Abro went against party line by voting in favour of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, for which a reference for his disqualification has been filed.”
The reference, submitted by Zafar, invoked Article 63-A of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification on the grounds of defection.
“The declaration is being submitted for onward reference to the chief election commissioner for laying the same before the election commission in accordance with the said Article 63-A,” the reference, dated January 1, said.
It stated that a PTI meeting was held before the vote on the amendment, in which it was “explicitly decided and communicated to all PTI senators in writing” that they were to oppose and not vote in favour of any bill relating to the amendment.
The direction was also issued formally by Ali Zafar to all PTI senators, including Abro. “The record confirms that this direction was properly conveyed to him and that he was fully aware of it,” the reference added.
The reference further said the instructions were also widely published in the media.
However, despite these directions, Abro voted in favour of the amendment twice, first on November 10, 2025, when the Senate initially passed the bill, and again on November 13, 2025, when the House reconsidered it after changes.
The reference stated that at both instances, Abro voted contrary to the “clear, unanimous and duly communicated direction” of the PTI and its parliamentary leadership.
