It has been a very big political and legal setback to the Pakistan People political party (PPP), when the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) temporarily suspended the membership of its important Balochistan leader Ali Hassan Zehri.
The case, that was decided by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, revolves around a long time electoral issue over the Hub (PB-21) constituency, following the February 8, 2024, general elections. The ruling virtually disrupted the serving of Zehri as a Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) until a new examination of the matter by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has suffered its first big blow in the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) as its key leader, Ali Hassan Zehri, was suspended by the court as member of the Balochistan Assembly.https://t.co/tBu4obMmW9
— Hasnaat Malik (@HasnaatMalik) February 5, 2026
The Core Issue Behind PPP’s Zehri Suspension
The suspension is based on a petition of a political opponent of Zehri called Muhammad Saleh Bhotani. The main argument is that there was a validity in the vote count in 39 individual polling stations of the PB-21 Hub constituency. Bhotani had appealed against the original outcome saying it was irregular and that a recount needed to be done to assure the sanctity of the ballot.
In a detailed 15-page judgment, the FCC set aside previous orders from both the Balochistan High Court (dated Dec 20, 2024) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (dated Dec 16, 2024).
The court’s directive includes two critical orders:
- Fresh Decision: The ECP must decide the application for a vote recount in the 39 polling stations afresh, complying with Supreme Court orders in “letter and spirit.”
- Suspension: Until the ECP reaches a verdict—preferably within two months—Ali Hassan Zehri’s notification as the returned candidate stands suspended.
The FCC emphasized that while recounting is not a routine procedure, it is necessary when there is evidence of illegality. The judgment noted:
“Sanctity of the ballot is sacrosanct… Recounting is allowed on the basis of some material establishing illegality and irregularity in the count.”
The court ruled that if the recount application is accepted, the votes in the 39 polling stations must be counted again. If rejected, the legal process will proceed, but Zehri remains suspended in the interim.
