ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Saifullah Abro on Friday received legal assistance after the Senate President dismissed a disqualification reference filed against him as unsustainable on technical grounds, despite allegations that he violated party discipline by voting in favor of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
According to parliamentary sources, the reference was rejected because it was signed by the PTI parliamentary leader instead of the party chief, which is a procedural requirement under the defection clause of the Constitution.
As a result, the reference was found defective and was dismissed without being referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
As per the defection provisions of Article 63-A, a disqualification reference must bear the signature of the party chief.
According to sources, failure to comply with this mandatory requirement made the reference technically erroneous, leading the Senate president to dismiss the case.
Earlier this month, the PTI had filed a petition seeking the disqualification of Abro for allegedly defying the party line by voting in favor of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
PTI Senator Ali Zafar had publicly confirmed the move, writing in
The reference, filed by Zafar, invoked Article 63-A of the Constitution, which deals with disqualification on the grounds of desertion.
“The declaration is submitted for further reference to the Chief Election Commissioner for submission before the election commission in accordance with the said Article 63-A,” the reference, dated January 1, read.
He claimed that a PTI meeting was held before the vote on the amendment, in which it was “explicitly decided and communicated to all PTI senators in writing” that they should oppose and not vote in favor of any bill related to the amendment.
Ali Zafar also formally issued the order to all PTI senators including Abro. “The record confirms that this order was transmitted to him correctly and that he was fully aware of it,” the reference adds.
The reference further said that the instructions were also widely published in the media.
However, despite these instructions, Abro voted in favor of the amendment twice, first on November 10, 2025, when the Senate initially approved the bill, and again on November 13, 2025, when the House reconsidered it after the changes.
The reference states that in both instances, Abro voted against the “clear, unanimous and duly communicated direction” of the PTI and its parliamentary leadership.
