The IHC has decided not to accept the resignations of three PTI leaders.
The ECP is prohibited by the court from holding by-elections in those constituencies.
ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPs’ acceptance notifications of resignation, preventing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from holding by-elections to fill their seats.
In the case where PTI leaders Asad Umar, Raja Khurram, and Ali Nawaz Awan had contested the acceptance of their resignations from the National Assembly, Chief Judge Amir Farooq presided over the hearing and gave rulings.
The PTI members had argued in the appeal that all 123 members’ resignations should have been accepted, and all should have been deseated, but the ECP had only accepted the resignations of a few party leaders in the notification that was released on January 17.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) had already halted the holding of by-elections in those constituencies and postponed the ECP’s order de-notifying 43 PTI MNAs.
The National Assembly speaker’s notification that accepted the resignations of the legislators from the previous ruling party had also been stopped by the court, and notifications for responses had been sent to the relevant parties.
Since July 2022, the resignations of the PTI MNAs have been approved in four stages: 11 in the first, 35 in each of the second and third, and 43 in the fourth.
In April of last year, Imran Khan was removed as prime minister by a vote of confidence, prompting the members to resign from the lower house of parliament in protest.
