ISLAMABAD: The leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Omar Ayub Khan and Shibli Faraz withdrew petitions against their removal as the Opposition Leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively.
A five-member constitution bench, headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, on Monday heard the petitions of Umar and Shibli against their removal and the disqualification as members of the Lower House and the Upper House.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, representing the PTI leaders, informed the bench that his clients, Omar Ayub, instructed him to withdraw both his petitions; i.e., de-notification as NA Opposition Leader, as Mehmood Khan Achakzai has been nominated in his place, and de-seating, as his wife is contesting in by-election on a seat (Haripur NA-18), which fell vacant after his disqualification.
Gohar further said that Shibli Faraz has also decided to withdraw his de-notification as Leader of Opposition in the Senate, but requested to stay the election in his seat in the Senate.
Justice Amin questioned when the election is going to be held. The counsel said that the by-election in his seat is scheduled on October 30. He urged the bench to issue notices to the respondents.
The bench, issuing the notices, fixed his petition against his disqualification as a member of the Senate on October 29. At the end of the hearing, Justice Amin inquired from the petitioners’ lawyer whether his clients had surrendered. He replied no.
Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, along with other parliamentarians of the PTI, were disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) based on the Anti-Terrorism Court, Faisalabad, in the 9th May incidents. They assailed the ECP and the NA Speaker and the Chairman Senate orders before the Peshawar High Court.
The PHC single-judge bench restrained the ECP from taking any adverse action against the petitioners. However, the PHC’s Division Bench denied them relief. Therefore, both Omar and Shibli approached the Supreme Court on October 4 against the High Court’s order under Article 185(3) of the Constitution (appellate jurisdiction).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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