Latest news with #ZartajGul
Business Recorder
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Disqualifications: Omar no longer leader of opposition in NA
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Secretariat on Friday removed Omar Ayub from his post as Leader of Opposition in the House. A notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat stated, 'consequent upon disqualification and de-notification of Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of the Opposition from being Member of the National Assembly (NA-18 Haripur) under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan vide Election Commission of Pakistan Notification No. 17(8)/2025-Coord.(M/F) dated 05.08.2025, the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly has become vacant with effect from 5th August, 2025.' The Secretariat has declared the position of Opposition Leader vacant and reclaimed the Opposition Leader's chamber from the PTI leader. The Secretariat said the Speaker is expected to issue a notification for the appointment of a new Opposition Leader soon. Several other parliamentary positions held by members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were also revoked. Zartaj Gul was removed as Parliamentary Leader. Ahmed Chattha lost his role as Deputy Parliamentary Leader. Membership of 15 committees has been revoked from seven PTI members who were deemed ineligible. Notable changes include: Omar Ayub delisted from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Finance Committee. Sahibzada Hamid Raza removed as chairman of the Human Rights Committee. Zartaj Gul lost her seat in the Human Rights Standing Committee. Rai Hassan Nawaz was stripped of the Railways Committee chairmanship. Independent PTI members have been directed to nominate fresh candidates for the posts of Parliamentary Leader and Deputy Parliamentary Leader. The development comes days after PTI leaders were disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after they were convicted by an anti-terrorism court in May 9 riot cases, and declared their seats vacant. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
NA removes three PTI leaders from key parliamentary posts
Listen to article The National Assembly (NA) removed on Friday three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders from key parliamentary posts following the disqualification of several party lawmakers. Omar Ayub was stripped of the position of opposition leader, while Zartaj Gul lost her role as parliamentary leader and Ahmad Chattha was removed as deputy parliamentary leader. A special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faislabad, earlier this month, sentenced top PTI leaders to up to 10 years in prison in cases pertaining to May 9 protests. Ayub, opposition leader in Senate Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq were among the 108 PTI leaders convicted out of the 185 implicated in the cases while 77 others were acquitted. The chamber allocated to the opposition leader was also taken back from the party. The speaker informed the House of the members' disqualification under assembly rules. Consultations are underway between the opposition and the speaker for the appointment of a new opposition leader, PTI-backed independents will be required to submit new nominations for the posts of parliamentary leader and deputy parliamentary leader. Ayub was also delisted from the public accounts committee and finance committee. Read: PTI's Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz sentenced to up to 10 years in May 9 cases NA also withdrew memberships of 15 standing committees from seven lawmakers belonging to PTI, removing three senior leaders from key posts. Sahibzada Hamid Raza was stripped of the chairmanship of the standing committee on Human Rights, while Zartaj Gul lost her membership in the same committee. Rai Hassan Nawaz was removed as chairperson of the standing committee on Railways. The changes follow the disqualification of several PTI members by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The ATC had earlier issued arrest warrants for 50 PTI leaders in multiple protest-related cases registered at various police stations in Islamabad ahead of the party's planned August 5 protest. The warrants, issued by Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain, included prominent figures such as former president Arif Alvi, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Faisal Javed, Salman Akram Raja, Rauf Hassan, Murad Saeed, and Ahmad Niazi. The warrants for 41 PTI leaders were issued after nine others issued earlier in connection with a case registered at Karachi Company Police Station.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul get interim relief from PHC
Listen to article The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday granted protective bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shibli Faraz and Zartaj Gul, who were recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in connection with the May 9 riots, Express News reported. The bench, after announcing the reserved verdict on their petition, allowed both leaders bail until August 11 and directed them to approach the relevant high court to file their appeals within this period. The court also ordered that the two not be arrested during this time. Also Read: Four martyred as militants attack FC vehicle in K-P The decision follows last week's ruling by a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Faisalabad, which sentenced over 100 PTI leaders for their alleged involvement in the May 9 unrest. Among those convicted were Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Senate Opposition Leader Shibli Faraz, Zartaj Gul, MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza, and former MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq. The ATC acquitted 77 out of the 185 individuals implicated in the cases. Subsequently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday disqualified nine PTI-affiliated lawmakers, including Ayub and Faraz. A notification issued by the commission declared one Senate and five National Assembly seats vacant, along with three Punjab Assembly seats. Others disqualified include Zartaj Gul, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Junaid Afzal Sahi, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Rai Murtaza Iqbal, Rai Haider Ali, and Ansar Iqbal. Read More: Karachi police lodge FIR against 550 PTI workers It is pertinent to mention that last month, a Lahore ATC had sentenced ten PTI leaders, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, to up to 10 years in prison, while an ATC in Sargodha handed a similar sentence to PTI Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar and other party workers. May 9 Riots The May 9 riots erupted nationwide following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan, after which PTI leaders and workers staged protests targeting both civil and military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military condemned the events as a "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act. As a result of the unrest, many PTI members were arrested and tried in military courts. In December, a military court convicted 25 individuals, including Imran Khan's nephew, Hassan Khan Niazi, and later sentenced 60 more. Also Read: Hub dam project to be inaugurated by Aug 13 In January, 19 convicts had their sentences pardoned following successful mercy appeals, although PTI expressed dissatisfaction over the limited number of pardons. The military trials had initially been halted following a Supreme Court ruling but were resumed following the court's instructions to finalise pending cases and announce judgments for those involved in the violent incidents.
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Total number reaches 14: More PTI lawmakers disqualified
ISLAMABAD: The electoral body has disqualified nine more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers from their legislative memberships - five members of National Assembly, three of Punjab Assembly, and a senator - in connection with their convictions by an anti-terrorism court related to 9 May riots - as the total number of PTI legislators who have been disqualified in the last three weeks in consequence of court verdicts now reaches 14. Leader of the Opposition in NA Omar Ayub Khan and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz are among the nine PTI lawmakers disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution on Tuesday. The other lawmakers are Member National Assembly Rai Haider Ali (NA-96 Faisalabad), MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza NA-104 Faisalabad, MNA Rai Hassan Nawaz NA-143 Sahiwal, MNA Zartaj Gul (NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan), Member Provincial Assembly (PP-73 Sargodha), MPA Junaid Afzal Sahi (PP-98 Faisalabad) and MPA Rai Murtaza Iqbal (PP-203 Sahiwal). ECP disqualifies several PTI lawmakers including Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Zartaj Gul Despite that the nine disqualified legislators belong to PTI, six of them had to contest the last year's general elections on Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) tickets against the backdrop of PTI electoral symbol controversy. The NA opposition leader was elected to NA as an independent candidate whereas the remaining four MNAs, and two of the three MPAs were elected on SIC tickets in the last year general elections. Only one MPA Murtaza Iqbal, as well as the Senate opposition leader, were elected to the respective legislatures on the PTI tickets. On 31 July, an ATC in Faisalabad sentenced PTI lawmakers to 10-year imprisonment over their alleged involvement in 9 May 2023 riots. On 29 July, the ECP disqualified PTI MNA Abdul Latif under Article 63(1)(h) over his alleged involvement in 9 May riots. A five-member ECP full bench heard different cases seeking Latif's disqualification before deciding against him under Article 63(1)(h). Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Business Recorder
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Zartaj Gul acquitted in Azadi March case
ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former minister Zartaj Gul from a case registered against her and other leaders in connection with the PTI Azadi March. Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti, while announcing his reserved judgment, acquitted Gul in two cases registered against her and others under the charge of violations of Section 144 (which prohibits large gatherings), damage to public property, and obstruction of law enforcement. Both the cases registered against her and other leaders at the Bara Kahu police station. PTI leader Gul appeared before the court along with her counsel Advocate Sardar Muhammad Masroof Khan. The case pertains to charges filed against Gul and other PTI leaders, in which, the party's founder Imran Khan and senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi have already been acquitted in the same case relating to the party's 2022 long march towards Islamabad. In May 2022, the PTI held the much-touted "Azadi March" in Islamabad during which scuffles broke out in different parts of the country, leading to the arrest of a few PTI leaders. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
