IHC issues notices over PTI petition on MNAs resignations

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notices over 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 on Thursday.

The bench issued notices to the Speaker National Assembly, the election commission and the Cabinet Division. The IHC has also ordered the secretary National Assembly to submit record in the court through a competent officer.

Acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the PTI’s petition against National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for “staging the drama” of accepting the resignations of only 11 party lawmakers.

PTI’s counsel Faisal Fareed Chaudhry appeared before the court in the case. All objections of Registrar’s Office on party’s petition have been removed, the PTI has submitted authority letter and made 123 members as party, counsel said. “Deputy speaker Qasim Suri had already accepted resignations of 123 PTI members,” party’s lawyer said.

The bench after issuing notices adjourned hearing until August 16.

A day earlier, the IHC directed the PTI to remove the objections of Registrar’s Office on party’s petition. The Registrar’s Office had objected to the absence of authority letter of the respective MNAs from the petition.

It is pertinent to mention here that NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of 11 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of the National Assembly including Shireen Mazari, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ijaz Shah, Farrukh Habib, Shandana Gulzar, Fazal Muhammad, Fakhar Zaman, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Jameel Ahmed and Akram Cheema.

All the PTI lawmakers had 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.