IHC seeks replies from Dar, others by June 12
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar addressing the 15th OIC Islamic Summit Conference in Banjul on May 5, 2024. PHOTO: PID
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought replies from Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other respondents by June 12 on petitions challenging the former's appointment as deputy prime minister.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the pleas filed by petitioners Fahad Shabbir and PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat.
The other respondents in the case included the principal secretary to the prime minister and cabinet secretary. The court also appointed Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan as amicus curiae.
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Duirng the hearing, the court inquired if the Lahore High Court (LHC) had not settled the matter. Shabbir's lawyer Nadeem Sarwar replied that even if the matter had been settled by the LHC, it fell under the IHC's jurisdiction.
The IHC CJ asked Marwat’s lawyer, Riaz Rahi, for the grounds of his plea. “There are four grounds, Rahi replied to the court.
He submitted that there was no room for an executive order, asserting that one person cannot hold two positions.
“The prime minister is elected through an election, whereas the deputy prime minister has been appointed through the executive order,” Marwat’s lawyer added.