By-polls on three NA seats challenged in Peshawar High Court.

PESHAWAR -- Three former MNAs of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday moved the Peshawar High Court against the April 30 by-elections in three National Assembly constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a joint petition, former lawmakers Ali Mohammad Khan of NA-22 Mardan, Fazal Mohammad Khan of NA-24 Charsadda and Shaukat Ali of MNA-31 Peshawar requested the court to declare unconstitutional the holding of by-polls in their respective constituencies saying the term of the National Assembly will expire on Aug 14, so polling can't be held 120 days before that.

The petitioners contended that Article 224(4) of the Constitution declared that if a general seat of the National Assembly fell vacant not later than 120 days before the term of that assembly was expired, it should not be filled.

The petition is filed through Barrister Gohar Khan, who also sought an interim relief in the form of a stay order against the ongoing electoral process.

Petition also filed by PTI's 10 ex-MNAs against acceptance of resignations

The petitioners said the three

NA seats- NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda and NA-31 Peshawar, were declared vacant along with three other seats of National Assembly from Punjab by the ECP through a notification on Feb 24.

The six seats along with a seventh from NA- 45 Kurram were won by former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan during by-polls in Oct 2022.

However, as under the Constitution, Mr Khan can only retain one NA seat, the ECP issued the notification through which Mr Khan was de-notified for the six other seats.

The three seats in question were earlier declared vacant after resignations of the petitioners were accepted by the NA speaker leading to by-polls on Oct 16, 2022.

The petitioners contended that holding of those by-polls were not only a violation of Article 224(4) of the Constitution but the election of MNAs for such a short period was a waste of taxpayers' money as well.

CHALLENGED: The PTI's 10 more former MNAs on Tuesday moved the Peshawar High Court against the acceptance of their resignations by the National Assembly speaker and their...