IHC disposes off Khursheed Shah's plea for production order

ISLAMABAD: IHC in its order on Syed Khursheed Shah’s production plea on Thursday said that the constitution prohibits court to issue directives to the Speaker, ARY News reported.

Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah while disposing off the plea said that Article 69 of the Constitution prohibits issuing orders to the National Assembly Speaker.

Any interference by the court would be disrespect to the parliament, which was why the constitution prohibited it, the court said.

“The court hopes that the Speaker will himself look into the matter.”

People’s Party leader Syed Khursheed Shah in a petition in the high court sought the court instructions for his production order.

Khursheed Shah, a member of National Assembly from Sukkur, in his petition made the secretaries of interior and law ministries and the NA Speaker as respondents.

Shah, a stalwart of the PPP and former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, said in petition that the budget debate has been ongoing in the lower house for last 12 days.

He pleaded to the high court, to issue an order to the respondents for his production order to attend the parliament session.

Syed Khursheed Shah has been among 18 accused in 1.23 billion rupees accountability reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Leader has spent 21 months in detention after being arrested by NAB’s Sukkur chapter on September 18, 2019.