Gillani files appeal in IHC against Senate chairman election

ISLAMABAD: Senator Yousaf Raza Gillani has filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the court’s decision on the election of the Senate chairman, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Gillani, a former prime minister of Pakistan, has filed an intra court appeal in the high court against the decision of a single bench over the Senate chairman election.

The appeal received at the Registrar Office of the IHC, pleads to declare single bench’s decision as null and void.

The appeal seeks the court to abrogate the presiding officer’s decision of rejecting seven votes polled in favour of the petitioner in the Senate chairman’s election.

Senator Gillani moved the petition through his counsel Farooq H Naek seeking immediate suspension of the decision of the presiding officer.

The Presiding Officer, Secretary Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani, and Secretaries of Law, Parliamentary Affairs have been made party in the appeal.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed an early petition by former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani challenging the results of the Senate chairman election, noting that proceedings of the upper house of parliament were immune from the interference of the high court.

Senator Gillani moved the petition through his counsel Farooq H Naek requesting the high court to declare the result of the election of Senate chairman held on March 12 “illegal, unlawful and void”.

He further demanded that the IHC declare the rejection of seven votes polled in favour of the petitioner illegal and suspend the notification dated March 13 regarding the re-election of Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman and restrain him from carrying out his duties in this capacity until this petition is decided.