The Election Commission has suspended its order of de-notifying 32 members of the National Assembly representing the PTI, it emerged on Friday.
Following the development, the electoral authority suspended by-poll activities on 27 NA seats, saying it has suspended its order for 27 Punjab general seats.
The Commission further said that electoral activities will continue for Islamabad's three NA seats, adding that the LHC order doesn't apply in this case.
On Monday, the court suspended ECP’s de-notification order for 20 more PTI lawmakers, restraining the top electoral authority from holding by-polls in the constituencies concerned.
The court had also suspended NA Speaker’s notification resulting in the acceptance of resignations of the former ruling party’s members. It also issued notices to the sides concerned and sought their responses.
On Feb 8, the court suspended the order of the ECP to de-notify 43 PTI lawmakers, while also temporarily postponing by-elections in the said constituencies until further notice.
The verdict came after a plea was filed by PTI lawmaker Riaz Fatyana and others challenging the Speaker’s approval of their resignations. The commission had acted after receiving the resignation letters.
Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had approved the resignations last month after former prime minister Imran Khan indicated the party’s return to the parliament and appointment of one of its members as the opposition leader in the National Assembly.
The PTI lawmakers had resigned en masse from the lower house of the Parliament following Imran’s ouster from power in April last year.
Ashraf told a PTI delegation on Dec 29, 2022 that the party’s lawmakers would be summoned individually for verification of their resignations as the latter insisted on them being accepted in one go.
But after stalling the process for eight months, the Speaker accepted the resignations of 34 PTI MNAs on Jan 17 and 35 MNAs on Jan 20, including Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, as the party hinted it would “test” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a confidence vote.
On Jan 24, 43 PTI MNAs wrote to the NA Speaker for the withdrawal of their resignations, but they had already been accepted. Subsequently, the ECP de-notified 43 PTI lawmakers, taking the total to 123.
Following the development, the electoral authority suspended by-poll activities on 27 NA seats, saying it has suspended its order for 27 Punjab general seats.
The Commission further said that electoral activities will continue for Islamabad's three NA seats, adding that the LHC order doesn't apply in this case.
On Monday, the court suspended ECP’s de-notification order for 20 more PTI lawmakers, restraining the top electoral authority from holding by-polls in the constituencies concerned.
The court had also suspended NA Speaker’s notification resulting in the acceptance of resignations of the former ruling party’s members. It also issued notices to the sides concerned and sought their responses.
On Feb 8, the court suspended the order of the ECP to de-notify 43 PTI lawmakers, while also temporarily postponing by-elections in the said constituencies until further notice.
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The verdict came after a plea was filed by PTI lawmaker Riaz Fatyana and others challenging the Speaker’s approval of their resignations. The commission had acted after receiving the resignation letters.
Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had approved the resignations last month after former prime minister Imran Khan indicated the party’s return to the parliament and appointment of one of its members as the opposition leader in the National Assembly.
The PTI lawmakers had resigned en masse from the lower house of the Parliament following Imran’s ouster from power in April last year.
Ashraf told a PTI delegation on Dec 29, 2022 that the party’s lawmakers would be summoned individually for verification of their resignations as the latter insisted on them being accepted in one go.
But after stalling the process for eight months, the Speaker accepted the resignations of 34 PTI MNAs on Jan 17 and 35 MNAs on Jan 20, including Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, as the party hinted it would “test” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with a confidence vote.
On Jan 24, 43 PTI MNAs wrote to the NA Speaker for the withdrawal of their resignations, but they had already been accepted. Subsequently, the ECP de-notified 43 PTI lawmakers, taking the total to 123.