The Sindh High Court on Wednesday accepted an urgent petition challenging the appointment of Federal Minister Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister. Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court presided over the hearing and requested responses from both parties within two weeks. The petitioner's lawyer, Tariq Mansoor Advocate, argued that the position of deputy prime minister was not mentioned in the Constitution under Articles 90 and 91. He said that these articles only recognized the Prime Minister and Cabinet members. He claimed that the deputy prime minister was neither accountable to the Senate nor Parliament.

The Chief Justice noted that similar appointments, such as that of Pervaiz Elahi, had occurred previously and asked if this case was any different. The petitioner’s lawyer responded that Elahi’s appointment in 2013 was accompanied by a notification specifying that the deputy prime minister would not exercise the prime minister's powers. The court has requested copies of the notification for Elahi's appointment and previous high court decisions. The court also questioned why Ishaq Dar was not included as a respondent in the petition. The lawyer indicated that Dar could be added if the court deemed it necessary.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan