PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday barred the appointment of new opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate.
The court issued notices to the Senate chairman, National Assembly speaker and other relevant officials to respond by August 20. A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal heard the petitions filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz against their de-notification from the positions of opposition leader in the National Assembly and Senate, respectively.
Appearing for the petitioners, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told the court that the National Assembly speaker had de-notified Omar Ayub, while the Senate chairman had removed Shibli Faraz after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified them on August 5.
The counsel said that on July 31, an Anti-terrorism Court had sentenced the petitioners and other PTI members to 10 years in prison over the May 9 riots. He argued that the position of opposition leader is constitutional under Assembly Rule 39, and once a person becomes a member of parliament, the ECP has no authority to disqualify them without a reference from the speaker.
He cited a Supreme Court ruling on the issue, adding that the ECP had exceeded its jurisdiction, as in the case of NA-1 Chitral MNA Abdul Latif, who was also disqualified. Barrister Gohar told the bench that PTI had won 180 seats in the February 8 general elections but was now reduced to 77 seats due to disqualifications and other actions. He said that removing Ayub and Faraz was aimed at installing opposition leaders from another party, calling it an unconstitutional move. In another development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that punishments and disqualifications were happening in abundance these days, but such actions were not a solution to any problem. “Everyone may have made mistakes, but those mistakes should be rectified, not compounded,” he told the media at the Peshawar High Court. He said the country had never been as divided as it is today, and if the largest political party was not heard, it would pose serious dangers to the country and democracy. Gohar added that “notification and de-notification season” was currently in full swing. “We believe punishments and disqualifications are no solution. None of us are angels; mistakes have happened, but one mistake should not be followed by another. You cannot clap with one hand -- everyone must sit together to find solutions to the country’s problems,” he remarked.
The PTI chairman claimed the party had never witnessed such damage and division before. “We won 180 seats in the February 8 elections, sat in the assembly with 91 seats, and today we are down to 76 seats. Around 70 percent of the public stands with PTI,” he asserted. He described PTI’s founding chairman as the most popular leader in the country, saying the party was now the sixth largest political party in the world. “If the public’s voice is ignored and their mandate is not respected, it will have serious consequences for the country and democracy,” he warned.
Gohar called for an end to disqualifications and injustices. “I urge everyone to come to their senses. This is not in the country’s interest. Political issues should be resolved politically through dialogue,” he said. He accused the authorities of discrimination, adding that all political parties had conducted intra-party elections and the Election Commission of Pakistan had accepted the results of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and others, but rejected PTI’s despite it being “the most transparent”.
The PTI chairman said eight PTI MNAs had been disqualified in an act of injustice. “In the general elections, 167 parties took part, but only 14 have representation in the House -- eight in government and six in opposition -- and all of them combined received 30 million votes, the same number PTI received alone,” he claimed.
Gohar said PTI would celebrate Independence Day on August 14 while also raising its voice for the release of its founding chairman. He welcomed the acquittal of Shah Mehmood Qureshi in two cases but noted that other cases were still pending. “May he be released soon so he can resume his responsibilities, as he has made great sacrifices alongside the founder,” he added.
Gohar said the PTI had always sought dialogue, but those tasked with facilitating talks had not allowed a single meeting with the founding chairman in jail. “Even today, he is in solitary confinement and no one is allowed to meet him. Only when such restrictions will end, dialogue will be able to move forward,” he concluded.