The PTI Political Committee has decided to postpone the appointment of the new leaders of the opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate for now in view of the stay order issued by the Peshawar High Court (PHC). In a meeting held on Sunday to review the current political situation, the political committee agreed that Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub will continue to hold their respective positions in the Senate and the National Assembly as opposition leaders. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad on July 31 convicted over hundred PTI leaders and workers including Shibli and Omar in a May 9, 2023 case, sentencing them to ten years in prison. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), taking suo motu notice of the conviction, disqualified the PTI leaders on August 5. Later, on August 7, the National Assembly speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, issued a notification de-notifying Omar and declaring the seat vacant. The Senate Secretariat on August 8 also issued a notification, stating that Faraz's disqualification on August 5 had resulted in the loss of both his Senate membership and his position as leader of the opposition in the upper house. The PTI challenged these notifications. The PHC on August 12 stopped the upper and lower houses of parliament from appointing new leaders of opposition in view of the conviction, de-seating and de-notification of Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub. A division bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal issued this order while hearing petitions filed on behalf of Shibli and Omar by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. The PHC on August 21 extended the stay. According to a statement issued to the media after the meeting, the committee reviewed the current political situation and held consultations on various matters. For the upcoming by-elections, Munazza Fatima was nominated from PP-87 and Ain Ahmad from NA-66, while candidates for the remaining seats will be announced soon. The meeting also noted that the ground realities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab differ significantly. It condemned the "fascist tactics" being used against PTI leaders and workers, terming the arrest of Aleema Khan's sons as the worst example of political victimisation. The police in Punjab provincial capital on August 21 arrested Aleema's son Shahrez Khan. on charges of resorting to acts of vandalism on May 9, 2023. A day later, they also detained her second son, Shershah Khan on the same charges. Both Shahrez and Shershah are nephews of former PM Imran Khan. According to the statement, Advocate Ali Bukhari met Imran Khan at Adiala Jail. During the meeting, the PTI founder emphasized that the legal battle will be fought with full force.
from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/XqyfNPA
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