The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday halted the victory notification of Bilal Chaudhry, winner of the NA-96 by-election, after taking up a case alleging violations of the election code of conduct by his brother, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry.

A four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case. Talal’s lawyer appeared before the bench, informing the commission that the minister could not attend due to official engagements. The ECP accepted his request for exemption from personal appearance.

During the hearing, the CEC questioned whether the candidate whose campaign Talal joined had won. ECP officials confirmed that Bilal Chaudhry had secured victory, though his notification had not yet been issued. The legal team told the bench that a winner could face disqualification if found to be involved in violations before notification.

The commission then ordered a halt to Bilal Chaudhry’s notification, with the CEC remarking: “We are not disqualifying him at this stage; we are only stopping the notification.”

ECP’s legal team informed the bench that three complaints were received from NA-96 regarding code violations, adding that Talal Chaudhry had already been fined Rs50,000 on November 20 for breaching the code while participating in his brother’s campaign.

CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja criticised the minister’s absence, saying federal ministers often do not consider themselves bound by the law.

The hearing was adjourned until December 2.