LHC strikes down ECP order to denotify PTI's Punjab MNAs

LHC strikes down ECP order to denotify PTI's Punjab MNAs

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended the order of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that denotified members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Punjab.

The PTI lawmakers resigned en masse from the National Assembly in protest over the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister through a vote of no-confidence. In his first move, NA Speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf accepted 11 resignations in August last.

In January, Mr Ashraf accepted resignations of 69 PTI lawmakers and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed after a gap of eight months. The surprise move came as the PTI decided to return the assembly in a bid to bar opposition leader Raja Riaz, a dissident PTI leader, from negotiating with the government on caretaker set-up in case general elections are announced.

Later, a total of 70 lawmakers, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Asad Umar and Parvez Khattak, had moved the high court against the NA speaker and the electoral body over acceptance of their resignations.

In its latest order, Justice Shahid Karim only suspended the ECP notification to denotify the PTI MNAs from Punjab. He directed the lawmakers from other provinces to approach the relevant forums.

Read More: PTI MNAs stage sit-in outside speaker s house to withdraw resignations

Justice Karim issued notices to the NA speaker, and others, directing them to submit their replies till March 7.

The LHC on Feb 8 had suspended an order issued by the ECP to denotify 43 PTI MNAs.