Peshawar court halts appointment of new opposition leaders in Pakistan parliament

The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday stopped the appointment of new opposition leaders in both Pakistan’s National Assembly and Senate.

The move came after senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz filed petitions challenging their de-notifications.

The hearing was conducted by Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr. Khurshid Iqbal. The court issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and other parties, seeking a reply by Aug. 15. The judges granted a temporary stay, halting further action.

The National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman had earlier de-notified Ayub and Faraz, declaring their seats vacant.

The action followed an Aug. 5 decision by the ECP to disqualify both leaders, days after an anti-terrorism court sentenced them and other PTI members to 10 years in prison over the May 9 riots.

Barrister Gohar Khan, PTI chairman, told the court that the opposition leader is a constitutional post under Assembly Rule 39. He said that once someone becomes a member of the assembly, the ECP’s authority ends.

He cited a Supreme Court ruling stating the ECP cannot disqualify members. He also argued the ECP wrongly cited the Azhar Siddique case and had similarly disqualified Abdul Latif Chitrali from his seat in Chitral.

Gohar said PTI won 180 seats in the general election but entered parliament with 90, and now holds just 77. He accused the government of trying to install an opposition leader from another party.

“We are proud of Omar Ayub, who received votes from 30 million people,” he said.

Gohar criticized the disqualification orders as discriminatory and politically motivated. He called for an end to what he termed the “season of disqualifications.”

He urged all sides to “come to their senses,” saying PTI had held internal elections that the ECP refused to recognize, while accepting those of other parties.

Gohar vowed PTI would celebrate Independence Day on Aug. 14 and campaign for the release of its founder, Imran Khan.

“There should be dialogue,” he said, adding that the tribal districts have been heavily affected and that terrorism must end to restore peace. He said it is the federal government’s job to stop both internal and external unrest.