LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday rejected a plea challenging the appointment of Ishaq Dar as Deputy Prime Minister.
The LHC rejected the petition, terming it inadmissible.
Earlier, Dar’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister was challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC).
The petition was filed by Tariq Mansoor, arguing that the notification on the appointment of Ishaq Dar as Deputy Prime Minister conflicted with the Constitution of Pakistan, saying the Constitution does not provide for the office of Deputy Prime Minister.
The petitioner argued that Dar’s appointment as Deputy Prime Minister was ‘unlawful’ and unconstitutional, maintaining that a deputy prime minister slot is not mentioned anywhere in the constitution.
It is to be noted that Foreign Minister Dar was assigned the additional responsibility of deputy prime minister, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
The announcement coincided with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Dar’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where they attended the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) special meeting on global collaboration, growth, and energy.
According to the notification, PM Shehbaz is pleased to appoint Ishaq Dar as his deputy with immediate effect and until further orders.
In 2012, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, the then PML-Q leader, had served as deputy prime minister in the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) government.
