Skip to main content

14 KP MPAs-elect challenge ‘denial of oath-taking’

PESHAWAR: More than a dozen candidates belonging to the main opposition parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who were notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on reserved seats, have urged the Peshawar High Court (PHC) to ensure they are administered oath of office before the upcoming Senate elections.


Six women MPAs-elect of the JUI-F on Monday filed a writ petition asking the PHC to declare the non-administration of oath to them “illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional”, while eight returned candidates of the PML-N and PPP challenged the same in a joint petition.


As the PPP had also filed a similar petition last Friday, the PHC is expected to club all the petitions together at its hearing, scheduled for today (Tuesday).


The petitions have been filed after the KP Assembly Secretariat declined to hold the sitting, despite an order issued by the governor to convene a session on March 22.


On behalf of JUI-F MPAs-elect Aiman Jalil, Madina Gul, Rabia Shaheen, Neelofar Begum, Naheeda Noor and Arifa Bibi, Advocate Mohammad Farooq Afridi submitted the petition, impleading the KP Assembly speaker, the ECP and others as respondents. In addition, Advocate Afridi submitted the petition on behalf of Mehr Sultana and seven other petitioners belonging to the PPP and PML-N.


The JUI-F petitioners stated that the ECP, through a notification on March 4, declared them successful in the election on reserved seats for women in the KP Assembly. “By virtue of the March 4 notification, the petitioners have become MPAs of KP and have the right to be administered oath by the speaker and deputy speaker,” they said.


According to the petition, the assembly session is summoned either by the governor under Article 109 or by the speaker only on a requisition signed by no less than a quarter of the total strength of the house. Since they did not enjoy the required majority of one-fourth membership in the assembly to move a requisition, the petitioners said, they approached the opposition leader and KP governor to summon the session.


The petition stated that the governor under Article 109 exercised the discretionary powers and summoned the session on March 22 to administer the oath to the candidates declared successful by the ECP.


But the speaker and his deputy deviated from their constitutional obligations “due to political rivalry” and refused to administer the oath to them, it pointed out.


Senate elections


According to the petition, the MPAs-elect belonging to the JUI-F, PML-N and PPP, despite being declared victorious in the election, were being deprived of their fundamental right of oath, with an aim to keep them away in the Senate election scheduled for April 2.


The petitioners urged the court to direct the ECP to postpone the scheduled Senate election till the disposal of their petition as an interim relief.


Besides, they have also asked the court to declare the defiant attitude of the speaker and deputy speaker for non-compliance with the governor’s letter as mala fide and blatant violation of constitutional provisions.


Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024


http://dlvr.it/T4cjlJ

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sindh police chief takes notice over viral alleged aerial firing videos of DIG East’s son

Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon took notice after videos of aerial firing allegedly by the son of a high-ranking Karachi police official surfaced on Thursday. Videos shared on social media allegedly showed the son of Karachi East Deputy Inspector General of Police Azfar Mahesar firing a pistol and rifles into the air while travelling in a luxury car. In one such video, policemen were also purportedly visible. Footage of the alleged incidents went viral on social media. A statement issued today from the Sindh police said IGP Memon ordered an inquiry against the DIG East and directed Karachi’s additional IGP to carry out the investigation. The statement added that departmental action would be initiated upon the inquiry’s completion. It said the investigation would also probe whether the weapons used in the incident were officially issued or not. “No one will be allowed to spread fear and chaos like this,” IGP Memon vowed. Meanwhile, DIG Mahesar
Post a Comment
Read more

Casualties feared in Dir clashes between FC, intruding militants: reports

LOWER DIR: Casualties are feared on both sides as militants from Afghanistan reportedly attacked Frontier Corps (FC) personnel at multiple locations at the Pak-Afghan border in Maidan area of Lower Dir district on Saturday, as per unconfirmed reports. According to local residents and official sources, there were reports of militants’ infiltration from the Afghan side via the Shahi border area at Lamotai Top, Suripao and Safarai forest. However, the reports were yet to be confirmed by Inter Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing. On getting information about the alleged infiltration, troops of the paramilitary force, FC, led by Captain Yasin, Captain Asfandiar and Subedar Hamza, advanced to block the militants’ movement, as per reports. The militants allegedly attacked the troops, who also retaliated, thus prompting fears of casualties on both sides. The security forces surrounded alleged militants at three different locations. Later, gunship helicopters lau
Post a Comment
Read more

Family points finger at PPP MNA, two sons in journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s murder in Ghotki

SUKKUR: Slain journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s mother and two relatives have reiterated the allegation in statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC in a Mirpur Mathelo court that Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA and his two sons had Nasrullah killed through their men. Ms Pathani Gadani, who was complainant in the case, and witnesses, Yaqoub Gadani and Salahuddin Gadani along with their counsel advocate Salahuddin Panhwar appeared before the second civil and first magistrate the other day and told him that PPP MNA Khalid Khan Loond, his sons, Shehbaz Loond, who was chairman of Mirpur Mathelo municipal committee, and Noor Mohammad Loond, had Nasrullah slain but the trio was so powerful that police had not dared include their names in the FIR. They appealed to the court to bring Nasrullah’s real killers to justice as per law and serve speedy justice to the bereaved family. Gadanis’ counsel Salahuddin Panhwar told media persons that the complainant and the witnesses had clearly stated t
Post a Comment
Read more