While hearing a plea seeking the dismissal of National Assembly Opposition Leader Raja Riaz, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday directed speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to rule on the case within 30 days.
On August 4, Advocate Munir Ahmed filed a case in the Supreme Court alleging that Raja Riaz was designated opposition leader without consulting the PTI, which remains the largest party in the NA because the speaker has yet to confirm the resignations of all their legislatorsIt was claimed that Riaz was appointed opposition leader with the “connivance” of the existing administration, circumventing norms and regulations, and that the appointment was aimed at bringing about changes of their choosing in the NAB and also the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Following the departure of PML-Q MNA Moonis Elahi, Riaz and GDA MNA Ghous Bakhsh Mahar entered the race for opposition leader’s seat.
The dissident PTI MNA had filed an application to the National Assembly secretariat, signed by 17 legislators, requesting nomination as opposition leader.
+The LHC directed that a copy of the petition be sent to the NA speaker and that he regard it “as an element of the submission filed on on behalf of the petitioner” in its two-page formal statement released today.
