The Lahore High Court (LHC), while disposing of a petition seeking the removal of National Assembly Opposition Leader Raja Riaz, instructed speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to decide on the matter within 30 days.

On August 4, Advocate Munir Ahmed filed a petition in the high court saying that Raja Riaz was appointed opposition leader without the consultation of the PTI which is still the biggest party in the NA as the speaker has not yet approved the resignations of all their lawmakers.

It stated that Riaz was made the opposition leader with the “collusion” of the incumbent government by bypassing the rules and regulations and the appointment was allegedly aimed at making changes of their choice in the NAB and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

PTI dissident MNA Riaz was appointed opposition leader in National Assembly with the support of 17 lawmakers in May after 125 MNAs of the party resigned from their assembly seats.

Riaz, along with GDA MNA Ghous Bakhsh Mahar, joined the race for the opposition leader’s slot following the withdrawal of PML-Q MNA Moonis Elahi.

The dissident PTI MNA had submitted an application signed by 17 lawmakers in the National Assembly secretariat for nominating him as the opposition leader.

In its two-page written order today, the LHC directed a copy of the petition to be issued to the NA speaker and ordered him to treat it “as a part of the representation filed on behalf of the petitioner”.

It instructed him to decide on the matter “on its own merits in accordance with law, rules and policy after taking into consideration all the grounds therein and objections” within 30 days.