PTI moves IHC over acceptance of 11 MNAs’ resignations

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) has challenged the phase-wise acceptance of it members of the National Assembly (MNAs) in the Islamabad High Court.

PTI General Secretary Asad Umar filed the petition seeking direction to the Election Commissions of Pakistan (ECP) to denotify all 123 MNAs and declare the seats as vacant. The IHC registrar office raised an objection to the petition regarding absence of authority letter. However, the petition was fixed before Acting Chief Justice Justice Aamer Farooq who would hear it today (Tuesday).

The petitioner, through counsel Shoaib Shaheen, stated the PTI MNAs had tendered their resignation after the no confidence vote, and Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced the decision. The then speaker had accepted the resignations, the petitioner stated, contending that the sitting speaker has no authority delay the acceptance of resignations.

He maintained that the speaker is bound to send the resignations to the ECP, which would announce by-elections on the vacant seats. Earlier, speaking to media outside IHC, the PTI leader stated, we have approached the court against acceptance of the resignations of 11 members.

“On April 11, 125 of our people resigned on the floor of the assembly, and on April 13, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri accepted the resignation,” Umar said. He claimed that party members resigned as a result of the alleged foreign interference that led to the ouster of their party’s government at the centre.

Umar went on to say that the youth of social media should suggest a party symbol for the ECP as it has become a part of PDM. The PTI leader accused ECP of engaging in “illegal activity” and stated that the PTI refused to be a part of this conspiracy and thus resigned, and that the ECP accepted 11 resignations of its choice last week.

On Twitter, Umar accused the ECP of becoming a part of the PDM alliance, stating, “All members of the Tehreek-e-Insaf resigned in front of the entire country. All resignations should be accepted at the same time.”