ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Omar Ayub has been removed from his post as Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, according to an official notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.
The Secretariat has declared the position of Opposition Leader vacant and reclaimed the Opposition Leader’s chamber from the PTI leader.
A new notification for the appointment of a replacement is expected soon from the Speaker.
In a major move, the Secretariat announced the removal of three key parliamentary roles held by PTI members. Alongside Omar Ayub’s dismissal, Zartaj Gul has lost her position as Parliamentary Leader, and Ahmad Chattha has been stripped of his role as Deputy Parliamentary Leader.
Furthermore, the notification confirmed that Omar Ayub has also been delisted from the Public Accounts Committee and the Finance Committee. Seven disqualified PTI members have lost their memberships from various standing committees.
The notification further revealed that these seven PTI lawmakers have been removed from 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 stripped of his Chairmanship of the Railways Committee.
These developments follow a recent ruling by the Anti-Terrorism Court, which handed down convictions to several PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified them from holding public office.
More to read: Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz challenge ECP disqualification in PHC
Also, in another development, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday had announced its reserved verdict on petitions filed by PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz, suspending the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) disqualification proceedings against them.
In its written order, the court directed the ECP to stop all further action related to the August 5 disqualification notification. Notices have also been issued to the ECP and other respondents, with the next hearing scheduled for August 20.
The PHC noted that both leaders had been convicted in absentia by an anti-terrorism court but have since appeared before the court and secured protective bail. The petitioners are now seeking time to file an appeal against the convictions in the Lahore High Court, as the verdicts are not yet final.
The court criticised the ECP for disqualifying Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz without giving them a proper hearing, stating that the move contradicted principles of due process.
By suspending the ECP’s decision and summoning responses from all parties involved, the court has effectively paused the disqualification proceedings pending further legal scrutiny.
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