Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday issued a stay order to halt the appointment of new opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate. This comes after the disqualification and removal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from their posts.
On August 5, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and several other opposition members following their convictions in three cases linked to the May 9, 2023, riots. Subsequently, on August 8, both leaders were officially removed from their parliamentary roles through notifications issued by the NA and Senate secretariats.
The PHC division bench, comprising Justices Arshad Ali and Dr. Khurshid Iqbal, heard petitions filed by Ayub and Faraz challenging the legality of their denotification. PTI interim chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan represented the petitioners in court.
The court directed the ECP and other respondents to halt any further appointments for the opposition leader posts, which remain vacant after the removals. The hearing has been adjourned to August 15, with the respondents asked to submit their replies by that date.
Previously, on August 6, a PHC bench had issued a protective order preventing the ECP from taking action against Ayub and Faraz. However, the order arrived too late to prevent their disqualification. Additionally, the court granted protective bail to Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and fellow politician Zartaj Gul until August 20. This ongoing legal battle continues to impact the political landscape in Pakistan’s parliament.