Daily Times

LAHORE: Acting premiership of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the absence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is in London for an open-heart surgery, has been challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

Ishtiaq Chaudhry filed a petition in this regard in the Lahore High Court on behalf of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

The petition says the Constitution of Pakistan does not permit transference of charge by the prime minister to any federal minister for any period of time. Sharif’s absence from the country has given rise to a “constitutional crisis”, says the petitioner.

The PAT has asked the court to stop Dar from looking after country’s affairs in Sharif’s absence and direct National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to call an emergency session and nominate a new leader of the House.

Sharif is currently in London and he will stay there for two weeks after his open-heart surgery on Tuesday (today). He visited his doctors last week for a checkup and that was when he was advised to undergo a heart surgery before returning to Pakistan. Reportedly, Sharif discussed the possibility of taking care of some important matters in Islamabad before his surgery, but he was strongly advised against doing so.

The opposition parties, which are pushing for an investigation into the Panama leaks, extended their support to the ailing premier and his family.