The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved verdict on admissibility of a plea seeking the suspension of National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf over the charge of damaging the national exchequer. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of the counsel for the petition. Petitioner claimed that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) granted Rs750 million for Independence Celebration programmes, the majority of which was used for the National Assembly’s Diamond Jubilee festivities on the instruction of Mr Asharf.

The petitioner said the speaker made foreign visits with a delegation of 25 parliament members when the country was facing ravaging floods and other natural disasters. He pleaded the high court to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to revoke his NA membership. The petitioner has made the ECP, ECC, National Assembly, and Speaker Raja Pervaiz parties in the case.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP