The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved its verdict on the maintainability objection raised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi after he personally appeared before the Commission on Tuesday in connection with alleged violations during the Haripur by-election.

Afridi’s appearance comes amid accusations of threats to polling staff and claims that he breached the ECP’s code of conduct. The case is tied to complaints submitted by PML-N candidate Babar Nawaz and petitions filed from within the Commission itself.

During the hearing at the ECP headquarters in Islamabad, Afridi’s counsel immediately challenged the maintainability of the petitions. He argued that delivering a political speech outside a constituency should not be equated with pre-poll rigging, adding that the Commission would set “a new precedent” if it accepted such reasoning.

PML-N’s counsel Sajeel Swati insisted that the KP chief minister had engaged in corrupt practices and that threatening Commission officials, if proven, warranted separate criminal action. He said the code of conduct clearly applied, and that Afridi’s alleged actions fell under Section 15, while Article 218(3) of the Constitution empowered the Commission to intervene.

Swati noted that the matter involved the head of a provincial government, making it a case of significant gravity. He urged the ECP to take firm action, stating that the evidence pointed to a clear breach of election integrity.

Afridi’s lawyer countered that the ECP and the contesting candidate could not be treated as joint petitioners and questioned why petitions filed by his client against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and others had not been heard with similar urgency. He pointed out that the District Returning Officer had already summoned his client even before the hearing.

At this point, the Chief Election Commissioner asked whether the Punjab chief minister had addressed any gathering inside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afridi’s counsel replied that Maryam Nawaz had made public announcements from the boundary of the constituency and submitted supporting video evidence to the Commission.

He added that if speaking outside a constituency’s limits could be classified as election interference, then future addresses by the prime minister or other provincial leaders could also be questioned on the same grounds.

The Chief Election Commissioner stated that all arguments had been noted. Following this, the ECP reserved its verdict on Afridi’s maintainability plea and will announce its decision later.