Federal Constitutional Court Admits Disqualification Petition Against CM Sohail Afridi for Formal Hearing, Issues Legal Notice
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has accepted a constitutional petition that seeks disqualification of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for regular hearing.
The petition against the election and continuation of Sohail Afridi as Chief Minister was brought before the three-member bench presided by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan.
Debates about resignation will be held on Resignation Volition and External Dictation.Resignation Volition and External Dictation will have debates about resignation.
Petitioner, lawmaker and senior lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat appeared personally to advocate the maintainability of plea from the constitution. Marwat argued before the court that the resignation of a provincial chief executive should be based solely on his or her own will and voluntary decision, as provided in the constitution.
He told the court that former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had made it clear in his resignation letter that he was resigning on the instructions and dictations of the jailed founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Marwat asserted that if an individual who is convicted by an external body or is disqualified, his or her appointment as a governor is not legal and any subsequent changes of governors will be null and void.
Formal Admission and Notice to Respondents
The Federal Constitutional Court, after having heard the preliminary arguments, admitted the petition for regular adjudication and gave a formal notice to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.