Another PTI MNA Abdul Latif Chitrali disqualified over May 9 conviction

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday formally de-notified Abdul Latif Chitrali as a Member of the National Assembly from NA-1 (Chitral Upper cum Chitral Lower) after declaring him disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution.

According to an official notification issued by the ECP, the disqualification came to light in light of the commission’s order dated July 29, 2025. The notification stated that as a result of the disqualification, Abdul Latif’s National Assembly seat has become vacant.

Chitrali was elected to the lower house of Parliament from Chitral in the 2024 general elections.

His disqualification stems from a conviction by an anti-terrorism court earlier this year for delivering hate speech during a protest in Chitral. The court handed him a five-year sentence under Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, a conviction upheld by the Peshawar High Court.

The development comes a day after the ECP disqualified three PTI lawmakers - Senator Ijaz Chaudhry, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar and MNA Ahmed Chattha - and declared their seats vacant.