The Federal Constitutional Court has closed a petition filed by Sher Afzal Marwat that aimed at removing Sohail Afridi from office, ruling that the plea no longer had any practical effect. The decision came after later developments, including the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule.
A two-member bench led by Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan heard the case in Islamabad. Marwat appeared before the court, while Afridi was represented by his counsel, Syed Ali Bukhari.
Chief justice says the petition lost relevance
During the hearing, Chief Justice Khan said the petition had become ineffective following the emergency and Governor’s Rule developments. He asked whether the case could still be heard after recent events involving the chief minister.
He observed that proceedings could not move forward under the current circumstances and noted that Afridi was not presently holding the post of chief minister. Justice Baqar Najafi said the emergency and Governor’s Rule were separate issues, and that the case against the chief minister was no longer a live matter.
Marwat seeks to challenge emergency and Governor’s Rule
Marwat told the court that he wanted to challenge the imposition of emergency and Governor’s Rule. He also asked for a short adjournment in connection with the petition against Afridi.
He argued that if both measures were lifted in future, Afridi could be restored to office. The chief justice responded that, should the chief minister be reinstated, the petitioner could file a miscellaneous application seeking to revive the proceedings. The court then disposed of the petition, finding it ineffective in view of the prevailing circumstances.
Faisal Vawda’s remarks on Afridi and the advisory council
Earlier, Senator Faisal Vawda claimed that the disqualification process against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had begun, and predicted that he would be disqualified. Speaking on a programme called Khabar, Vawda said the newly formed KP Advisory Council had 180 days to prove its performance, with no room for failure.
Vawda said that if Governor Faisal Karim Kundi delivered even five to 10 per cent of the expected results, the public would move toward the next phase on its own. He added that the council included capable people whose performance would be monitored closely, and that members who failed to deliver within 180 days could also be replaced.
