Court issues notices to Suri, others for April 22
The Islamabad High Court rejected on Friday the request for a stay order against Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri’s decision to delay the National Assembly session till April 22.
The hearing of the petition against the delay in the NA session began with a larger bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, and comprising Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Babar Sattar.
Murtaza Javed Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, who filed the petition a day earlier, was represented by lawyers Mansoor Awan and Zainab Janjua.
The petition stated that the IHC should direct the deputy speaker to convene a session on April 16 to conduct the election of the speaker.
Counsel Mansoor Awan argued that the April 13 circular stated that the assembly would convene on April 22 instead of April 16, attached to the meeting is the election of the speaker of the National Assembly, in response to Justice Amir Farooq’s questions regarding the agenda of the assembly session.
“The National Assembly is functioning without a speaker; the speaker’s office cannot be left vacant,” remarked Chief Justice Athar Minallah adding that this matter was under the purview of the internal proceedings of parliament.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that there was a period of at least seven days to convene the meeting, as the NA is functioning without a speaker and the deputy speaker is currently exercising the powers of the speaker. Mansoor Awan said that the rules stipulated that a speaker be elected as soon as possible.
“It is also a conflict of interest to adjourn the case when there is a notice to remove someone,” the advocate defended.
