Replies sought on plea challenging Riaz’s appointment

The Lahore High Court’s Justice Abid Hussain Chattha, while issuing notices, sought replies from the authorities concerned, including the federal government, on a plea challenging the notification through which a PTI dissident leader, Raja Riaz, had been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly

The petitioner’s counsel, Azhar Siddique, implored the court that how Raja Riaz could be appointed the leader of the opposition without acceptance of the resignations of the PTI lawmakers.

The appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner, other ECP members as well as NAB chairman were made with the consent of the Opposition leader.

So what would be the result of fairness of the aforesaid appointments when the opposition leader on the one hand called himself the opposition leader while on the other hand he wished to contest general elections from the PML-N’s platform, advocate Azhar argued.

However, Justice Abid Hussain Chattha also sought legal assistance from the attorney-general and the advocate-general of Punjab.

The petition

The petition was filed by one Munir Ahmed through advocate Azhar Siddique, contending that the appointment of Raja Riaz as the Opposition leader was a sheer violation of Rules 39, 43 and others of the “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 (the Rules)”.

He argued that none of the resignations presented in the National Assembly was accepted, and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had not yet de-notified them.

He requested the court to set aside the notification through which Raja Riaz was appointed as the opposition leader.

It was further requested that operation of the notification be suspended until the final decision on this writ petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2022.