IHC seeks Senate proceedings during amendment in Elections Act 2017

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed Additional Attorney General to submit proceedings of three Senate meeting held during the amendment in the Elections Act 2017 last year.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed to furnish the record in a sealed envelope while hearing the case in connection with changes in the oath that lawmakers take regarding the Finality of Prophet (PBUH) by workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR).

However the Deputy Attorney General (DAG), Arshad Mehmood Jayani pleaded that no question could be raised on parliament's debates or proceedings by the court of law under Article 69.

To which Justice Siddiqui remarked that "the court just wants to see who voted in favour and against the bill, adding that it would be just for his own information and it would not be part of the case proceedings.

On November 6, 2017 workers of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) and activists of other religious groups camped at the Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad against the hastily-abandoned change in the oath of elected representatives, virtually paralyzing the twin cities for more than two weeks.

Police and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel had launched an operation against the protesters after the high court had ordered the clearance of the bridge that connects the federal capital with Rawalpindi.