Phase-wise acceptance of MNAs’ resignations: IHC issues notices on PTI’s plea

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to relevant officials and institutions on the PTI plea challenging the ‘piecemeal’ resignation acceptance of its lawmakers.

IHC acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued notices to the National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, the NA secretary and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar — on behalf of his party — had filed a plea in the IHC on Monday after the NA speaker accepted the resignations of 11 MNAs.

However, in the petition, the PTI leader demanded that all 123 MNAs should be de-notified together and their seats be declared vacant. Before adjourning the proceedings until August 16, the acting IHC CJ directed the representatives of the NA secretary to appear before him along with the relevant record on the next hearing.

Following the passage of the no-confidence vote against PTI Chairperson Imran Khan — the only prime minister to be removed through the move — his party MNAs had resigned en masse in April. The IHC registrar’s office had earlier raised an objection to the petition. However, the objection was later removed and the petition was fixed.

Asad Umar, in the petition filed through his counsel Shoaib Shaheen, stated the PTI MNAs had tendered their resignations after the no-confidence vote, and Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced the decision. The then-deputy speaker Qasim Suri had accepted the resignations, the petitioner stated, contending that the sitting speaker had no authority to delay the acceptance of resignations.

He maintained that the speaker was bound to send the resignations to the ECP, which would announce by-elections on the vacant seats.