ISLAMABAD. PPP Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani will continue to serve as a lawmaker in the upper house of parliament after the Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday rejected the PTI appeals, which sought disqualification of the former premier in the wake of a video scandal involving his son, Ali Haider Gilani.

The country’s top electoral body ordered the Islamabad district commissioner to start criminal proceedings against Ali Haider Gilani, MNA Faheem Khan, and Capt (retd) Jamil after it was “proved” that they were indulged in corrupt practices. It added that the punishment under Sections 167 and 168 could be up to three years in jail or a fine of Rs100,000 or both.

“However, the ECP dismissed the case against Yousaf Raza Gilani after finding no link,” it read.

The ECP announced its verdict, which it had reserved on Monday. Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja said the facts of the case were not presented properly. He noted that 20 hearings had been conducted and the decision on the case was not reserved for even a month.

PTI lawmakers Farrukh Habib, Maleeka Bokhari and Kanwal Shauzab on March 3 2021 filed a petition in the ECP after a video of Ali Hiader Gilani surfaced on March 2 in which he explained lawmakers how to cancel their votes. It had filed a reference with the ECP seeking Gilani’s disqualification for being involved in “corrupt practices”.

However, the ECP had rejected the plea to stop the issuance of the notification.