PTI moves SC against phase-wise approval of MNAs' resignations

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

PTI’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry has filed the petition in the apex court challenging the decision of the high court. The party has pleaded to the top court to declare the IHC decision as unconstitutional and void.

“The PTI had decided to tender resignations from the National Assembly to get a new mandate from voters,” according to the petition.

“The members of the PTI have tendered their resignations from the lower house of the Parliament,” the party pleaded in the petition.

“Acting speaker Qasim Suri announced approval of the resignations of 125 members of the PTI on the floor of the house,” according to the petition.

“Phase-wise approval of the party members’ resignations from Speaker Pervaiz Ashraf is violation of the established norms,” PTI pleaded in its request to the supreme court.

On September 06, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had 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.

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

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.