PTI petitions the SC to reject partially accepting the resignations of MNAs.

 

• PTI challenges IHC's September 6 verdict which dismissed party's plea against partial acceptance of its MNA's.
• PTI moved IHC to challenge acceptance of only 11 MNAs out of 23.
• PTI pleaded with apex court to declare IHC’s September 6 verdict as null and void, says petition. 

ISLAMABAD: The PTI appealed on Tuesday the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) ruling from September 6 that rejected the party's argument against the Supreme Court's partial acceptance of its MNAs' resignations.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf were the targets of PTI's appeal last week accusing them of accepting the resignations of its legislators "piecemeal." The high court dismissed the plea.

Only 11 out of the 23 MNAs were accepted, and the PTI requested that the IHC investigate this.

On April 11, two days after then-prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from power by a vote of no-confidence, all PTI MNAs announced their intention to resign collectively.

Asad Umar, the head of the PTI and a former finance minister, has appealed the IHC decision to the Supreme Court. On behalf of the PTI, attorney Faisal Chaudhry filed the petition.

The PTI urged with the top court to declare the IHC's September 6 ruling "null and void" in its petition.

The petitioner asked the top court to rule Speaker Raja Pervaiz's "piecemeal" acceptance of the resignations of its lawmakers as illegal and unconstitutional.

The petition stated that "the PTI had resolved to resign from the National Assembly in order to seek a fresh mandate from the people," adding that Qasim Khan Suri, who was acting speaker at the time, had declared that the PTI legislators' resignations would be accepted on the floor.

The petition stated, "NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz's piecemeal acceptance of MPs' resignations is a violation of the established rules.

It is important to note that a PTI MNA contested the IHC's acceptance of his resignation on the grounds that he did not vacate his seat.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah noted that the PTI's en masse resignations had grown dubious because one of the party's lawmakers claimed he did not quit from his National Assembly position while the petition was being heard.