ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (APP):Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has filed a petition in the Federal Constitutional Court challenging the appointment of Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. The petition has been filed through Advocate Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui.
The petition contends that there is no evidence on record to show that independent members formally authorized Aamir Dogar to represent them.
It further raises the question whether a convicted and disqualified individual can control parliamentary proceedings from jail. The petitioner points out that in the past, Speakers have summoned members in person to verify resignations, but in this instance the prescribed procedure was allegedly ignored.
The petition also argues that the office of the Leader of the Opposition plays a key role in important appointments to bodies such as the Judicial Commission and the Election Commission. Issuing a notification without proper verification of signatures, it maintains, is not merely an irregularity but a violation of the Constitution.
The petitioner has requested the Court to declare the notification appointing Mahmood Khan Achakzai as Leader of the Opposition null and void, and to suspend the notification until a final decision on the case is rendered.