Acceptance of MNAs' resignations: PTI moves SC against IHC's order

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has moved Supreme Court (SC) against the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order on phase-wise acceptance of party lawmakers’ resignations, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to details, former planning minister Asad Umar challenged the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC), declaring the acceptance of party lawmakers’ resignations by former National Assembly (NA) acting speaker Qasim Suri ‘unconstitutional’.

In the petition filed by lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, the petitioner urged the Supreme Court (SC) to set aside IHC order. The PTI also request the apex court to declare phase-wise acceptance of MNAs’ resignation by NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf ‘unconstitutional’.

The petition stated that the PTI had resigned from the National Assembly to seek a fresh mandate from people of Pakistan.

“The party lawmakers had already resigned from the Lower House of Parliament,” it added, pointing out that the former NA speaker accepted the resignations of 125 lawmakers.

“The acceptance of resignation by Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf was a clear violation of the established norms,” the petition added.

Earlier on September 6, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed a petition of PTI against the ‘phase-wise’ acceptance of resignations of its MNAs.

Chief Athar Minallah after hearing arguments of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) counsel dismissed the petition. Chief Justice of the high court remarked that the Speaker after being satisfied has approved 11 resignations of the PTI MNAs.

“This court is not authorized to review the level of satisfaction of the Speaker,” Justice Minallah remarked. “We have to change our thinking and to respect the Parliament,” Chief Justice IHC said.

It is pertinent to mention here that NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted resignations of 11 PTI MNAs.

All the PTI lawmakers had earlier resigned en masse on April 11, two days after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from the top office after the no-confidence motion moved by the joint opposition in the parliament against him succeeded.