The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday moved Supreme Court (SC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to appoint the opposition nominee Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Jan 22 appointed Mohsin Naqvi as the caretaker Punjab Chief Minister after the parliamentary committee failed to reach a consensus. The petition was filed by PTI Secretary General Asad Umar in the apex court. The petitioner pleaded with the court to declare Naqvi’s appointment “null and void” and stop him from working as caretaker Punjab chief minister. The petitioner also challenged the appointment of ECP members Babar Bharwana and Ikramullah in top court. The matter of the appointment of the caretaker Punjab CM reached the election commission after the parliamentary committee failed to reach a consensus.

The PTI-PML-Q alliance had suggested Naveed Akram Cheema and Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera’s names for the caretaker CM’s slot, whereas, the opposition tabled the names of Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema. Following the nomination of Naqvi for the slot, Imran Khan slammed the commission and tweeted, “PMLN has history of selecting their own umpires but it’s incredible how ECP has selected a sworn enemy of PTI as Caretaker CM Punjab – a post meant for a non-partisan person.” “Naqvi also made a voluntary return deal with NAB [National Accountability Bureau]. SC [Supreme Court] in suo moto case no 17/2016 declared that in a case of voluntary return a person cannot hold any public office at federal or provincial level nor in any state organisation.”

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP