Former members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislature could not be added to the fourth schedule, according to Friday’s ruling by the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Case presided over by Justice Waqar Ahmed, the petitions challenging the inclusion of PTI’s ex-assessment members in the fourth schedule were considered. Justice Ahmed dismissed the petitions and asked for an explanation at the next hearing.
The applicants were also restrained from taking any action by the provincial government by an order of the court.
Syed Sikandar Hayat Shah, the petitioner’s lawyer, provided arguments and evidence throughout the hearings in support of the assertion that the recommendation to include former assembly members in the fourth schedule had been legally made. The petitioner, he said, is a terrorism victim and a former assembly member.
In court, Attorney General Daniyal Chaudhry informed the judge that these names were supposed to be on the agenda but never were since the district anti-terrorism coordination committee had recommended against it.
Afterward, the court mandated that the provincial administration respond by January 23 while also prohibiting any action against the petitioners.
Former Speaker Asad Qaiser is among those who have been suggested for inclusion in the fourth schedule. Other names on the list include Amjad Ali, Gul Zafar, Iftikhar Mashwani, Mian Sharifat Ali, Abdul Salam, Zaher Shah, Fazal Hakim, and few more.
