LHC upholds appointment of Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has dismissed an intra-court appeal (ICA) challenging the appointment of Senator Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister, declaring the appointment as “right”, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Pronouncing the reserved verdict on Thursday, a two-judge LHC bench headed by Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal disposed of the appeal submitted by citizen Ashba Kamran.

In the appeal, the petitioner argued that the Constitution does not provide for the office of Deputy Prime Minister and that Ishaq Dar’s appointment violates constitutional provisions. The petitioner also claims that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to appoint Dar to the position is unconstitutional, asserting that Dar is ineligible for the role of Deputy Prime Minister, so the appointment be declared null and void.

During the proceedings, Additional Attorney General Nasar Ahmad Mirza represented the government, arguing the prime minister had the authority to appoint a deputy prime minister.

The LHC reserved its verdict on Wednesday after hearing the arguments from both sides. The AAG had argued that Ishaq Dar is exercising neither executive powers as Deputy PM nor receiving any salary or privileges associated with the title.

Earlier, Sher Afzal Marwat had challenged the appointment of Ishaq Dar as Deputy Prime Minister in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

In the petition, Sher Afzal Marwat maintained that the PML-N leader was already working as the Minister of foreign Affair when he was appointed as deputy prime minister last year. “The office of the deputy prime minister is unconstitutional, and there is no provision in the 1973 Constitution that allows the prime minister to appoint someone as his deputy,” the PTI leader had added.