IHC hears PTI petition on its MNAs resignations

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday heard a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition against the ‘phase-wise’ acceptance of resignations of its members of the National Assembly (MNAs), ARY News reported.

The National Assembly Speaker’s Secretariat expressed ignorance over the petition as an official denied having a copy of the application. “Everyone knows about the application except the Speaker’s Secretariat,” the court remarked.

“Deputy Speaker, who was acting speaker at that time, had attached his order with the petition,” the bench remarked.

“The verification process with regard to resignation was completed earlier,” PTI counsel Faisal Chaudhry said.

“An order was given either accept it or refuse,” Justice Aamer Farooq said. “My decisions will not be declared void when I will not be a judge,” he said.

“An order has been given, you have to hold election,” the bench observed. “Why you come to court to halt the election in nine constituencies,” Justice Farooq asked the PTI’s lawyer. “We want the election not in only nine constituencies but in 123 constituencies of the assembly,” Faisal Chaudhry said.

“No constituency should remain without representation,” the bench observed.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till Monday.

In an early hearing PTI counsel said that “deputy speaker Qasim Suri had already accepted resignations of 123 PTI members.”

It is pertinent to mention here that NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted the resignations of 11 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of the National Assembly.

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.