The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday disqualified Murad Saeed, a senator from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, following his conviction in a case linked to the May 9, 2023 violent protests.
According to an official notification, Saeed was handed a 10-year prison sentence by an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi. The conviction led to his disqualification under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution. As a result, the Senate’s general seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been declared vacant.
Saeed had been elected to the Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in July 2025 but did not take oath as he remained in hiding. In mid-February, he submitted his resignation through a letter addressed to the party chairman.
In the letter, which was also shared on the party’s official X account, Saeed stated, “This parliament, founded on illegitimacy, has become complicit in every attempt to turn the gravest insult to the people’s mandate into the nation’s destiny, where even after taking an oath on the constitution, its authority has been distorted.”
He further wrote that lawmakers advocating basic rights for the “elected and real prime minister” were being detained for protesting, adding, “I hereby resign as a protest.”
The May 9, 2023 unrest refers to widespread violent demonstrations that erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. Protesters targeted public and military properties, including the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore, commonly known as Jinnah House.
The protests were sparked by Khan’s arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court in connection with a corruption case. While several PTI members were later granted bail, many remain incarcerated.
Khan, who was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022, has been in custody since August 2023 and continues to face multiple charges, including corruption and terrorism.
