ISLAMABAD: Sher Afzal Marwat, a PTI member of National Assembly, on Saturday challenged the appointment of Senator Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The petition, filed through Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi, contended that Mr Dar was already holding the office of federal minister for foreign affairs when the cabinet division issued a notification on April 28 with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s approval for his appointment.

It argued that PM Office was a constitutional office but the post of deputy premier was not known in the Constitution and no other law allowed the cabinet division to issue such a notification.

Mr Dar’s appointment as deputy premier was made for “personal reasons” at the “cost of public exchequer”, the petition argued.

It apprised the court that Mr Dar, being the deputy premier, had started conducting meetings and taking important decisions which were apparently not within his jurisdiction and gave rise to recurring cause of action.

“The persons holding illegal appointments and that too without merits merely on the basis of political considerations can’t bring any productive development in national life and offices can only be secured by the enforcement of law,” it pointed out.

Mr Marwat requested the court to declare the appointment as “without lawful authority” and “of no legal effect” and set aside the notification.

The petition mentioned that Mr Marwat, being a citizen of Pakistan and MNA from Lakki Marwat’s NA-41 constituency was under duty under Article 5(2) to obey the law and Constitution.

Interestingly, the petitioner also sought a “reward” for highlighting the issue of public importance to save the financial burden on the exchequer.

He requested the court that “the petitioner may please be awarded compensation for bringing this important petition before this honorable court”.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2024