Status of legislative memberships: Gilani, Dar, Aurangzeb, Musadik, 21 others will not be affected

ISLAMABAD: The status of legislative memberships of Chairman Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik and 21 others will not be affected as the Supreme Court order on the reserved seats is not retrospective.

The apex court, on May 6, suspended the decision of Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the allocation of reserved seats in the Assemblies to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). “It is, however, clarified that this interim order relates to the disputed seats only, i.e. the reserved seats allocated over and above the initially allocated reserved seats to the political parties. It is also clarified that this order is to operate prospectively, w.e.f. from today,” reads the written order issued by SC judge Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.

Suspension of legislative memberships of 77 lawmakers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) earlier on Monday raised a question over the legality of voting in Senate elections and by-elections in which majority of those suspended participated.

The decision, however, will not have any impact on the senators elected last month and in March by-elections, Business Recorder has learnt. “Voting cannot be nullified on the seats where those members of the Assemblies who have been suspended, pursuant to Supreme Court’s order, participated—the apex court’s order is prospective, not retrospective,” ECP official told Business Recorder.

On April 2, Senate elections were held on 19 out of a total of 48 seats, with Dar elected on Islamabad technocrat seat. Aurangzeb and Malik elected on Punjab technocrat seats. Elections were held on 12 seats of Sindh, five seats of Punjab and two seats of Islamabad.

Senators on seven general seats of Punjab and all 11 seats of Balochistan, were earlier elected unopposed. The polls on 11 seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were postponed.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Cheema and Pervaiz Rashid were among the lawmakers elected unopposed on Punjab’s general seats. Deputy Chairman Senate Syedal Khan and former caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar were elected unopposed on Balochistan’s general seats.

On March 14, by-elections were held on six Senate seats in which Gilani was elected on Islamabad’s general seat, defeating Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

Of the suspended 77 legislators, 22 belong to National Assembly, 27 belong to Punjab Assembly, 25 to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and three belong to Sindh Assembly; while 52 lawmakers of National, Punjab and Sindh Assemblies participated in voting on 25 Senate seats.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024