The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday temporarily stopped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from taking further action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers who were recently disqualified following their conviction in the May 9 riots case.

The high court announced a two-page interim order, offering relief to PTI leaders including Omar Ayub Khan and Senator Shibli Faraz, who had approached the court challenging the ECP’s decision. The PHC also issued notices to the ECP and other involved parties and set the next hearing for August 20.

According to the court order, the lawmakers were convicted by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad, but they were not present during the announcement of the verdict. Their legal team argued that the ECP acted unlawfully by disqualifying them without giving them a chance to be heard.

PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, who serve as opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate respectively, called the ECP's move "unlawful" and urged the court to cancel the ruling. Both leaders plan to appeal their convictions in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

ECP de-notifies nine PTI lawmakers

This legal development came just a day after the ECP de-notified nine PTI members — five from the National Assembly, one senator, and three members of the Punjab Assembly — following their convictions related to the May 9, 2023, violence.

Read More: PTI leaders challenge ECP disqualification in Peshawar High Court

Here’s a list of the de-notified lawmakers:

National Assembly Members:

• Omar Ayub (NA-18, Haripur)

• Rai Hassan Nawaz (NA-143, Sahiwal-III)

• Zartaj Gul (NA-185, DG Khan-II)

• Rai Haider Ali (NA-96, Faisalabad-II)

• Sahibzada Hamid Raza (NA-104, Faisalabad-X)

Punjab Assembly Members:

• Muhammad Ansar Iqbal (PP-73, Sargodha-III)

• Junaid Afzal (PP-98, Faisalabad-I)

• Rai Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203, Sahiwal-VI)

These disqualifications came shortly after a special ATC in Faisalabad sentenced several PTI leaders to 10 years in prison for their alleged role in the post-May 9 unrest.

Also Read: ECP disqualifies Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, 7 others over May 9 violence convictions

Out of 185 accused in these cases, the ATC sentenced 108 individuals and acquitted 77, including notable names such as former minister Fawad Chaudhry, Zain Qureshi, and Khayal Kastro.

In a related case, PTI leader and former federal minister Zartaj Gul was granted protective bail by the PHC. After being convicted by the Faisalabad ATC, she requested bail to safely file an appeal in the Lahore High Court. The court accepted her plea after hearing the arguments.

The legal proceedings stem from the violent incidents that occurred on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. Nationwide protests turned violent, leading to multiple cases being filed against PTI leaders and supporters under anti-terrorism laws.