RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: A deputy attorney general Tuesday sought time from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to submit reply in a petition challenging the appointment of Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani as acting president in the absence of the President of Pakistan.

A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq heard the petition and granted last opportunity to the respondents to submit their reply in this matter before the next hearing.

During the hearing, Justice Aamer remarked that the court would announce its verdict on the next hearing if the respondents fail to submit their replies till then. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for one month in this connection.

Advocate Afzal Khan Shinwari filed the petition through his counsel Iftikhar Bashir Advocate, saying that Sanjrani cannot become the acting president of Pakistan because he does not meet the requirements set by the Constitution.

He adopted in his petition that according to Article 49 of the Constitution, the Senate chairman becomes acting president in the absence of the head of state, however, Article 41 states that the individual needs to be more than 45 years of age.

The petitioner stated that Sanjrani, who was born in 1978, is 40 years old and does not fulfil the basic requirement. “Sanjrani is therefore not qualified to hold the office of the president even in the acting capacity,” contended Shinwari.

He further said on May 15, the President of Pakistan departed to perform Umrah and in his absence, Sanjrani took the seat as acting president until he returns.

He maintained that the Senate Secretariat committed “a grave error and an illegality” in their appointment of Sanjrani as Senate chairman keeping in mind the Articles of the Constitution.

The petitioner said the Office of the President has been “illegally usurped.” Therefore, he prayed to the court that May 14 notification issued by the Senate Secretariat be termed as “unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful as well as null and void.”