SIC challenges votes cast by 24 MNAs on reserved seats

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) has challenged the votes cast by 24 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) who reached the assembly on reserved seats and took oath yesterday, on Saturday.

The SIC’s parliamentary leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar has said that the party has conveyed to the presiding officer in writing objections to these MNAs. “We have also given references of several articles of the constitution in our letter,” he informed. 

Bhachar has said that the letter is presently with the presiding officer and he will give his verdict once the voting is over.

On Friday, there was lot of uproar in the National Assembly during the oath-taking of the MNAs reaching the assembly on reserved seats.

As National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to these MNAs, those belonging to PTI-SIC raised slogans.

In his speech, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the MNAs on reserved seats could not be administered the oath in the light of the order of the Peshawar High Court.

National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq that the house did not receive any notice or order from the ECP regarding the oath-taking of MNAs on reserved seats.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan argued PTI’s members in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies joined the SIC, expecting reserved seats based on their quota. He said the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision on March 1 was later stayed by the Peshawar High Court, making today’s oath-taking unlawful.

A few days ago, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had refused to give reserved seats to the SIC and distributed those seats to the PML-N and the PPP instead.

Later, the SIC moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC), which deferred the oath-taking of lawmakers on reserved seats.