ISLAMABAD: The chief justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wed­nesday suspended the de-notification of three PTI lawmakers and sought a reply from the ECP and National Assembly.

The orders were passed on a petition filed by Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan and Raja Khurram Shehzad.

In the petition, the three stated that on April 11, 2022, the PTI high command had obtained resignation letters from all of its 123 members of the National Assembly, including themselves, and submitted the same to the speaker.

The petitioners said they had acted on the party’s directions and for reaching an agreement with the then opposition parties for holding fresh elections so that a new government may be formed with the real mandate of people. They also wanted the nation to be relieved of the impasse it was facing.

They pointed out that the resignation was subject to all of PTI’s 123 MNAs being de-seated jointly and as a whole. They further said the then acting speaker accepted the resignations en masse on April 13, 2022, but after the deputy speaker’s resignation on April 16, the new speaker was elected and he gave a ruling reversing the acceptance of the resignations. The new speaker, they added, directed the NA Secretariat to resubmit the resignations for verification in accordance with various judgements of superior courts.

According to the petition, the spea­ker later accepted their resignations in violation of law and without following any due inquiry or verification as required under Article 64. The ECP also illegally de-notified, they clai­med. The three PTI men requested the high court to set aside the ECP’s notification of de-seating them.

The court adjourned the hearing to March 28.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2023