ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce verdict on Tuesday in the disqualification reference filed against estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member and MNA Ayesha Gulalai.

In the last hearing, the five-member bench under the Chief Election Commissioner reserved judgment in the case filed by the PTI against Gulalai for defying its orders.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan had filed the reference against Gulalai, seeking to denotify her from the assembly seat.

In the previous hearing on Oct 17, Imran?s lawyer Sikander Mohmand reiterated before the commission that Ayesha Gulalai announced to leave the party and then backtracked from her statement.

?Gulalai leaving party but not leaving assembly membership is not possible as per the party Constitution,? said the lawyer.

Gulalai?s lawyer barrister Masroor rejected PTI accusations and said that expressing the desire to leave party and actually resigning are not the same thing.

Gulalai has never tendered her resignation to the party and said that she isn?t leaving PTI in National Assembly, Masroor said.

The reference

On August 28, Imran Khan had sent a notice to Gulalai stating that she has defected from the party in terms of Article 63 A (1) of the Constitution.

The notice states that Gulalai on August 1 publically resigned from the party, did not vote for the party?s designated candidate in the prime minister?s elections.

Gulalai announced to quit the party in early August after levelling allegations of harassment and corruption against the PTI chief.