ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) today suspended ECP’s notification for the by-election in the National Assembly constituency of NA-246 in Karachi as the PTI MNA Shakor Shad said he did not resign from the seat.
In a petition filed in the IHC, PTI MNA Shad announced his resignation, but he said that was only meant to express solidarity with PTI Chief Imran Khan.
On Thursday, PTI MNA Shakor Shad filed a petition in the IHC, claiming he did not sign any resignation letter, nor sent his resignation to the speaker.
The petition stated that 123 resignations were typed by a computer operator and the PTI MNAs were made to sign them in the name of ‘party discipline’ , to show solidarity with Imran Khan and for political purposes.
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition on Friday and sent notices to ECP and the National Assembly Secretariat seeking their replies.
Justice Minallah said that after Shad’s petition ‘all of PTI’s resignations’ had become doubtful.
Wasn’t Shad called for the confirmation of the resignation? the justice asked
Shad’s counsel replied that the PTI MNA was invited by the NA speaker for the confirmation of his resignation on May 30 but he failed to make an appearance due to being ill.
However, Abdul Shakoor Shad continued to attend meetings of the standing committees, the lawyer said.
The court suspended the ECP notification that denotified Shad as MNA and told the petitioner to attend National Assembly proceedings.
In July, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf approved 11 out of 123 resignations from the PTI MNAs. The resignations were submitted by the PTI en mass in April when Imran Khan was ousted from power.
On August 5, the ECP announced by-elections on nine general seats that fell vacant after the resignations were accepted. Two others were reserved seats.
Shortly after the elections were announced, PTI declared that Imran Khan will contest the election from all nine seats.
In NA-246 PPP awarded the ticket to Nabeel Gabol.
