Politics

PTI suspends membership of Karachi lawmaker Abdul Shakoor Shad

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

PTI issues show-cause notice to Abdul Shakoor Shad,
Party asks MNA to submit reply within seven days.
PTI says Shad had approached IHC “suddenly” over resignation.

KARACHI: The PTI on Saturday suspended the membership of its lawmaker Abdul Shakoor Shad and issued a show-cause notice to him over his recent remarks and decision to approach Islamabad High Court (IHC).

In the notice, PTI’s Sindh chapter told the lawmaker that he had submitted his “handwritten resignation letter” and also shared it on his Twitter.

The notice also claimed that Shad in his Twitter bio had written that he was a former member of the National Assembly (MNA). It further stated that the Karachi lawmaker had also filed his papers as a covering candidate for PTI Chairman Imran Khan for the NA-246 by-elections.

“Despite strict party instructions to not withdraw your candidature, you (Shad) withdrew your papers after acceptance of the party chairman’s papers,” the notice read. It also stated that the lawmaker had approached the Islamabad High Court “suddenly” and gone against the party policy.

The notice also claimed that Shad had gone to the media and spoken against the party on “various occasions”.

“This is gross misconduct and in violation of party rules and therefore you (Shad) are required to submit a reply within seven days of this notice stating why your (Shad) party membership should not be cancelled. Till that time your basic party membership is hereby suspended and you cease to hold any party office and/or position,” said the notice.

Shad was elected from NA-246 in the 2018 elections after he defeated PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. The seat was considered a stronghold of the PPP as it includes Karachi’s Lyari neighbourhood which has historically voted for the Bilawal-led party since his grandfather’s time.

However, in April of this year, the PTI lawmakers tendered their resignations en masse after Imran Khan’s government was ousted through a no-confidence motion in April. Later, the then deputy speaker Qasim Suri accepted the resignations and issued a notification in this regard.

However, resignations of PTI members were de-sealed once Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected as the National Assembly speaker.

Subsequently, in July Shad was among the 11 lawmakers whose resignation was accepted by Speaker Ashraf under Article 64(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Once the resignations were approved by the speaker, the ECP issued a schedule for by-elections on the vacant seats and fixed September 25 as the date for polling.

However, things took a new twist on Friday (yesterday) when Shad challenged his resignation in the IHC, saying that he had expressed solidarity with the 123 MNAs who had left their seats, but he never resigned.

During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah directed Shad to continue working as a lawmaker and also nullified the ECP notification that de-notified him.

IHC CJ Minallah also issued notices to ECP and the NA Secretariat, seeking answers from them within two weeks.

Latest News

PTI suggests resuming talks with government over judicial commission issue.

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

Barrister Gohar, Chairman of the PTI, has claimed that the party’s founder has suspended negotiations, emphasizing that the government should declare the commission within seven days.

He emphasized the PTI’s openness to rethink if the government makes headway and establishes the commission.

Barrister Gohar told the reporters, “Seven days were enough to announce the commission.” We are ready to reconsider, but the government must first announce the commission.”

He stated that the PTI approached the negotiations with an open mind. “The PTI founder has halted the negotiations. “The government had eight laws on their agenda, while we only had two demands,” he stated.

The PTI chairman went on to say that even after seven days, no progress had been made in forming the commission. He encouraged the government to reconsider the decision and proceed with the announcement.

Latest News

PTI will declare February 8 to be “Black Day,” sparking protests across the country.

Published

2 weeks ago

Farwa

According to reports, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) intends to hold rallies nationwide on Wednesday in support of its decision to declare February 8, the one-year anniversary of the general elections, a black day.

According to media sources, PTI founder Imran Khan has instructed all party lawmakers—including MPAs and MNAs—to plan and take part in demonstrations in their local communities on February 8 in order to draw attention to their complaints and issues.

In a recent meeting with legal advisors on Wednesday, Imran Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the party’s Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram. The meeting emphasized the importance of party discipline and gave stern directives to abstain from any criticism of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the JUI-F.

It has also been suggested that the PTI engage opposition leaders in the demonstrations in order to win their support.

Party insiders revealed that the founder has urged leaders to ensure effective coordination and mobilised efforts in preparation for February 8.

Latest News

In 13 cases involving the D-Chowk demonstration, Bushra Bibi granted temporary release until February 7.

Published

3 weeks ago

Farwa

Bushra Bibi, the wife of the PTI chairman, was granted temporary release by the Islamabad Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in 13 counts pertaining to the November 26 D-Chowk protest. Judge Tahir Abbas Supra ordered the police to produce all pertinent documentation by February 7 and granted bail against surety bonds of Rs. 5,000 apiece.

Additionally, Bushra Bibi was given temporary release until February 7 in the Rangers’ accident case. During the hearing, Judge Tahir Abbas Supra expressed disappointment over the behavior of the defense counsel on two occasions. Addressing the lawyers, he remarked, “You demand VIP protocol everywhere, but this is not possible. Prepare your files properly before coming to court.”

Three cases at the Secretariat Police Station, two each at the Margalla, Karachi Company, and Ramna Police Stations, and one each at the Tarnol, Kohsar, Aabpara, and Khanna Police Stations are among the numerous charges against Bushra Bibi.

In addition, the judge chastised the defense team for requesting that Bushra Bibi sign and thumbprint blank documents. He said, “The accused must sign and thumbprint the court orders, not blank sheets.”

Bushra Bibi also went to the Islamabad High Court to have her biometrics verified in relation to her appeal to be exonerated in the Toshakhana-II case. On Monday, Bushra Bibi and the PTI chairman submitted their acquittal petitions. After finishing the biometric procedure, she departed right away.