Islamabad [Pakistan], August 9 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub has been removed from his position as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, according to an official notification issued by the Pakistan's National Assembly Secretariat, Dunya News reported.
The notification states that the post of Opposition Leader has been declared vacant and Omar Ayub's chamber has been taken back. The Speaker is expected to issue a new notification soon for the appointment of a replacement.
According to Dunya News, the Secretariat has also removed two other key PTI leaders from their parliamentary roles. Zartaj Gul is no longer the Parliamentary Leader, and Ahmad Chattha has lost his position as Deputy Parliamentary Leader.
Omar Ayub has also been removed from the Public Accounts Committee and the Finance Committee. In addition, seven PTI lawmakers, who were recently disqualified, have lost their memberships in 15 standing committees. Among them, Sahibzada Hamid Raza has been removed as Chairman of the Human Rights Committee, Zartaj Gul is no longer a member of that committee, and Rai Hassan Nawaz has been removed from his role as Chairman of the Railways Committee.
These changes come after an Anti-Terrorism Court convicted several PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) subsequently disqualified them from holding public office, as per Dunya News.
However, in a separate development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday suspended the ECP's disqualification proceedings against Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz. The court, in its written order, directed the ECP to stop further action on its August 5 disqualification notification and issued notices to the ECP and other respondents. The next hearing will be held on August 20, according to Dunya News.
The PHC noted that both leaders were convicted in absentia but have since appeared before the court and secured protective bail. The petitioners have sought more time to file an appeal in the Lahore High Court, Dunya News reported.
The court also criticised the ECP for disqualifying them without giving a proper hearing, saying it went against the principles of due process, Dunya News reported.
By suspending the ECP's decision and seeking responses from all parties, the PHC has effectively paused the disqualification process until further legal review.
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