IHC reserves verdict in Shehbaz as PAC chairmanship removal case

IHC reserves verdict in Shehbaz as PAC chairmanship removal case

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its verdict in a petition seeking removal of opposition leader in the National Assembly Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif from Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairmanship.

A two-member bench comprising of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani heard the petition challenging the opposition leader’s appointment.
The petitioner pleaded that Shehbaz’s appointment as the chairman of the committee was illegal and issuing his production orders was a violation of the accountability laws.

The IHC chief justice said Shehbaz Sharif was to be considered innocent until the case would prove against him in the court. “Issuing production orders to him is an internal matter of the Parliament,” he said.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani said the speaker had the authority to call any assembly member.

The petitioner had also sought for preparing a reference regarding the violation of Section 31 of the NAB ordinance stating Shehbaz’s production orders should be declared void and the accountability court should be directed to take action against the PML-N president according to Section 16(B) of the NAB ordinance.

APP