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LAHORE: The election of Prime Minster Imran Khan has been challenged before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on the plea that at least 69 members of the National Assembly abstained from voting and failed to participate in the formation of the federal government.
Sheikh Zahid Mahmood, a lawyer by profession, filed the petition through senior lawyer A.K. Dogar, pleading that it was mandatory under Article 91(4) of the Constitution that every member of the National Assembly must cast his/her vote to person(s) nominated for the election of prime minister.
The petitioner stated that two of the parliamentary parties, consisting 69 members, remained sitting in the assembly but abstained from voting and they had failed to perform their duty of participating in the establishment of the federal government. He pleaded that it could not be countenanced that some of the members might not vote yet they were counted as a part of the total membership of the assembly. He argued that the chosen representatives of the people could not abstain from casting their votes.
Mr Mahmood prayed to the court to declare that every member of the National Assembly must exercise his/her constitutional duty to take part in the voting for the leader of the house and chief executive of the state. He also urged the court to declare that Imran Khan had been elected as prime minister unconstitutionally due to absence of the votes of the total membership of the National Assembly.
The PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami have been made party in the petition in addition to the federal law ministry and PM Imran Khan.
Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2018
Comments (11) Closed
A layman's question, a huge percentage of the voters also do not cast their votes in 2013.
How about canceling membership of these 69 members who abstained from performing their constitutional duty and not pointing fingers at Imran Khan who has simple majority vote even if these 69 were cast against him?
Action against political parties/members is warranted but making the elected PM controversial is work of the foolish!
It is the MNA's who abstained from voting should be taken to task for violating the law (if any). Such people who burden the Courts on flimsy grounds also need to be taken to task.
Good luck and keep trying. Don't let the door hit you on the backside on your way out.
It was the fault if MNAs, why they obtained from voting. They must be asked & punishment should be given.
Dream on....
Sheikh Zahid Mahmood, try to do something productive in your life. Tks
Total nonsense and irresponsible petition making mockery of not only Democracy but also the Constitution
This is just to defame the new government and the petitioners should be penalised if the judge decide they are wasting the courts time.
Actually, they're trying their best to find some sort of trap for PTI government but one thing is sure that people have changed minds and ultimately they have to get adjusted. They had an ingrained perception that except them no one should or could be a ruler.
stop this madness, all nonsense. Let the government deliver