PTI MNAs resignations: LHC seeks reply from NA speaker

LAHORE (INP): The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday sought replies from National Assembly (NA) Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf and other respondents in a case pertaining to the acceptance of 43 PTI MNAs’ resignations.
Justice Shahid Kareem took up the petition filed by 43 PTI leaders, including Riaz Fatyana, against the NA speaker’s move for accepting their resignations without due process. The LHC has directed the NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to submit his reply till March 7 in the case.
In the petition, the PTI leaders accused the NA speaker of accepting resignations to ‘politically victimize’ the opponents. They pleaded with the court to nullify the decision of speaker Raja Pervaiz Asharaf and the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan. Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) suspended the Election Commission of Pakistan’s notification that de-notified 43 MNAs of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
LHC judge Justice Shahid Karim heard the case and restricted the commission from holding by-elections in the 43 constituencies until further orders. On Jan 25, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified 43 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members of the National Assembly (MNAs) following the acceptance of their resignations by NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
After the announcement of PTI MNAs’ return to the National Assembly, the federal government made a move to accept their resignations in an apparent bid to reduce the number of opposition lawmakers. The de-notified PTI MNAs included Riaz Fatyana, Sardar Tariq Hussain, Mohammad Yaqub Sheikh, Murtaza Iqbal, Sardar Mohammad Khan Leghari, Zile Humma, Rukhsana Naveed, Ghazala Saifi, Nousheen Hamid, Sobia Kamal Khan and others.