Violating Discipline: Notice against PML-Q leader suspended

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has suspended a show-cause notice issued to Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MNA Humayun Saifullah Khan.

The notice had been issued by party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on July 26 for violating party discipline over not casting his vote in favour of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf.

The notice was challenged on September 5. Chief Justice PHC Dost Muhammad Khan, heading a divisional bench with Mrs Justice Irshad Qaisar, was informed that according to clause 8 of the Article 63 (A), the party chief can issue the notice after upcoming elections. Jahanzeb Khan Muhammadzai, MNA’s attorney informed that the notice was issued according to the unchanged Article 63 (A) 1973, which was still applicable, as the amended (18th Amendment) will take effect from the next polls.

He said Shujaat was not a competent authority to do so and the party’s Parliamentary Leader Faisal Saleh Hayat was supposed to issue the notice.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12^th, 2012.