PHC clubs petitions on oath to women MPAs

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday clubbed the writ petition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) with other identical petitions about oath-taking of Members Provincial Assembly (MPAs) elected on reserved seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and adjourned hearing in the case for today.

A division bench of the PHC comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Wiqar Ahmad heard the petition. Farooq Afridi advocate pleaded the case of JUIF women MPAs elected on reserved seats.

The PPP, PMLN and JUIF had challenged the constitutional matter regarding oath-taking in the PHC on behalf of women lawmakers elected on reserved seats.

The petition said the Election Commission of Pakistan had notified the women lawmakers elected on reserved seats. However, the KP Assembly speaker and the provincial government having malafide intentions did not administer the oath to the successful women MPAs.

The court was requested through the petition that elected MPAs be administered oath, so that they could cast votes in the upcoming Senate elections.It was also told that Senate elections should be postponed in case the women MPAs were not administered the oath.