PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – The Peshawar High Court on Thursday extended the stay order on the swearing-in ceremony of lawmakers notified on reserved seats, a move contested by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, till March 13.
The five-member bench, headed by Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and included Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Atiq Shah, Justice Shakeel Ahmed and Justice Arshad Ali, heard the Sunni Ittehad Council's (SIC) petition concerning the allocation of reserved seats.
The court adjourned the hearing until March 13, and summoned Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan to appear on the next hearing.
The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday stopped the elected members from taking oath on the reserved seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the request of the Sunni Ittehad Council.
This development comes as the party declared its intent to contest the electoral body's decision, issued on Monday, rejecting the SIC's plea for reserved seat allocation.
The petitioner's lawyer, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah Khan, and counsels of other involved parties also attended the session.
During today's session, the court mandated the presence of the AGP.
"The attorney general has been informed, he is currently in the Supreme Court," Khan stated.
Justice Ibrahim reiterated the court's summons to the AGP.
Responding to the court, the AAG mentioned the need for preparation time.
Meanwhile, Qazi Anwar Advocate mentioned the appointment of a new advocate general who would represent the case.
"In this context, the issue concerns the stay order while the presidential election is scheduled for March 9," another lawyer, Qazi Jawwad, remarked.
On a separate note, PTI's lawyer Babar Awan briefed the court on the upcoming presidential election and highlighted that the PTI-backed SIC, holding 93 seats in the National Assembly, has yet to receive its reserved seats.