PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday dismissed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s petition challenging an Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notice issued over his remarks during the NA-18 Haripur by-election campaign last year.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Mohammad Faheem Wali announced the reserved verdict and rejected the petition.

The ECP had issued a notice to Afridi in November 2025 over remarks he made during a public gathering in Havelian in connection with the Haripur by-election.

The commission had alleged that the chief minister’s speech contained threatening and provocative language against government officials, police personnel and election staff.

According to the ECP, Afridi’s remarks violated the election code of conduct and provisions of the Elections Act, 2017, and could intimidate election officials and affect the conduct of the by-election.

Afridi subsequently approached the high court, challenging the ECP proceedings and questioning the commission’s jurisdiction and maintainability of the case.

In January 2026, the PHC had restrained the ECP from passing any final adverse order against the chief minister while allowing the commission to continue its proceedings.

The court later extended the interim protection in June, directing the ECP not to issue any order adverse to Afridi until further orders.

On October 3, the high court gave Afridi’s counsel a final opportunity to present arguments after the case had been adjourned several times. The bench had warned that no further adjournment would be granted and fixed October 7 for hearing.

The ECP had maintained that its proceedings had already been heard on merits and argued that the high court petition had become ineffective.

The dispute stems from the NA-18 Haripur by-election held on November 23, 2025. The ECP had taken notice of Afridi’s speech ahead of the poll, while the chief minister later said his remarks had been taken out of context and denied campaigning for any candidate.

The ECP subsequently rejected allegations of irregularities in the Haripur by-election, saying complaints regarding the conduct of the poll should be taken before the relevant election tribunal rather than raised through public statements.