Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court (PHC) has granted status quo against approval of 10 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member National Assembly (MNA) resignation by Speaker National Assembly, on Wednesday.
PHC’s divisional bench comprising of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice SM Attique Shah ordered Chief Election Commissioner and Speaker National Assembly along with other respondents to submit reply in this regard.
The writ petition was filed by former MNAs including Anwar Taj from Charsadda, Yaqub Khan, Gul Zafar of Bajaur, Jawad Hussain from Orakzai along with reserved members on women seats namely Nafeesa Inayat Ullah, Sajida Zulfiqar, Noreen Farooq, Uzma Riaz, Zila Huma and Shaheen Naz seeking to declare Speaker NA orders null and void.
Barrister Gohar Khan argued that Speaker National Assembly has approved resignation of PTI MNAs unconstitutional because the petitioner had submitted resign on party’s chairman direction following his ousting from Prime Minister Office. He added that Speaker didn’t approved resigns collectively but approved quitting requests of in different number i.e. (10, 15 and 35) at various time period.
The counsel added that Speaker NA has argued that he will approved resign one by one following with meeting with each MNA but when PTI announced rejoining of National Assembly then on 23rd January resigns were approved which is unconstitutional.
PTI shouldn’t object to approval of resignations of MNAs if it were approved as per law but Speaker NA opposing decisions of his well by approving 10, 12 and 20 MNAs resigns, the counsel argued. He argued that Election Commission of Pakistan didn’t fulfilling her constitutional obligation in this regard while Speaker letter written to ECP is contradictory with constitution.
The divisional bench of PHC comprised of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice SM Attique Shah granted status quo against approval of 10 PTI MNAs resignation while ordered respondents to submit comments and adjourned further hearing.
