A writ petition seeking the disqualification of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser was filed in the Peshawar High Court (PHC). It alleged both officials violated their oaths by promoting civil disobedience and protesting against the federal government.
The petition, filed by PHC Bar Association Secretary General Muhammad Ayaz Khan, named Khattak, Qaiser and the K-P government, through the chief secretary, as respondents. The court was requested to restrain the chief minister and assembly speaker from remaining in office, performing official duties and using perks, privileges and protocol for an interim period till the disposal of the writ petition.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), currently ruling K-P, has been protesting in front of the Parliament and Supreme Court, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, stated the petition.
It added the PTI and its leadership had become so desperate that they publically promoted civil disobedience and asked the people of K-P to stop paying bills and taxes. The CM and speaker are members of the PTI and had not only been participating in the ongoing protests, but have also been advocating civil disobedience, read the petition.
It alleged that members of protesting political parties and their leadership, which includes respondents Khattak and Qaiser, illegally attacked the Parliament and Pakistan Television. It would appear that Khattak was also named, among many others, in the FIR concerning the mentioned incident.
The petition said according to reliable sources, the chief minister and speaker used public money to finance the sit-ins and this was dishonesty and corruption of the worst degree.
Both officials swore to protect and defend the Constitution, but their conduct was a clear violation of their oath and disqualifies them from holding office under the Constitution of 1973, stated the document.
Official business came to a standstill in K-P as the chief minister and speaker abandoned their offices to take part in the protests, it stated. “Is it not deceit of the highest degree?” the petition questioned.
If the petition is accepted, the court was requested to issue a writ of quo warranto or any other appropriate writ that states Khattak and Qaiser violated their oaths and are therefore ineligible to occupy their offices.
On August 29, a petition was filed in the PHC, asking the 2013 general elections be declared null and void, adding the Punjab and National assemblies be dissolved and reelections ordered.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Tahirul Qadri started a campaign against the federal government and sit-ins have continued since August 14, 2014. Hundreds of protesters and many policemen were injured in violent clashes between the former and the police in Islamabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2014.
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Special column should be initiated in the press and media for Biodiversity Conservation drive in the country to minimize the current destructions due to climate change and destabilization of mountain ecosystem.