PTI's Omar withdraws disqualification plea

SC issues notice on plea against Shibli's disqualification

ISLAMABAD:

In an unexpected move, PTI's Omar Ayub has withdrawn the petitions filed against his disqualification as a lawmaker as well as his subsequent denotification as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

His counterpart in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, has also withdrawn his plea challenging the Senate chairman's order denotifying him as leader of the opposition in the Senate. However, the Supreme Court will continue to hear his appeal against disqualification.

A couple of anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in Punjab had convicted the PTI leaders in July and August this year for their alleged roles in the May 9, 2023 rioting incidents that erupted after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

Following their convictions, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified them as lawmakers, while the custodians of the upper and lower houses denotified them as opposition leaders. Both leaders had subsequently approached the Supreme Court against these orders.

When a five-member constitutional bench (CB) headed by Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan began hearing the case, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan appeared before the court and informed the bench that, on Omar Ayub's instructions, he was withdrawing the appeals against his disqualification and removal as opposition leader.

When asked whether the accused had surrendered to the ATCs, Barrister Gohar replied that neither Omar Ayub nor Shibli Faraz had yet surrendered. He clarified that the case against Shibli was civil in nature, and that they intended to pursue it.

He informed the court that a by-election on the vacant Senate seat was scheduled for October 30. Justice Shakeel Ahmad remarked that the time allowed for the by-election was very short, while Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan observed that the court would take up the matter before the election date. The court later issued a notice to the ECP and adjourned the hearing until October 29.

When PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja was asked whether Omar Ayub had accepted his disqualification in the May 9 cases, he replied that he had not discussed the matter with Ayub or his counsel and was unaware of the reasons behind the decision. In response to a question about whether awarding a party ticket to Omar Ayub's wife amounted to nepotism, Raja said local political dynamics must be considered.