The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday retracted the de-notification order of 30 members of the National Assembly belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and postponed the by-elections process on 27 seats, Aaj News reported.

The Election Commission also restored the membership of five female MNAs of PTI.

On February 20, LHC Justice Shahid Karim issued an interim order on petitions filed by Shafqat Mahmood and others and suspended the process of by-elections in the petitioners’ constituencies.

The petitioners through their counsel contended the speaker could not accept the resignations of any MNA without following the three-pronged procedure prescribed by the Constitution.

He pointed out that the en masse resignations could not be accepted and each MNA had to give an application in his own handwriting and resignations must be voluntary.

And for verification of these matters, a personal hearing of each MNA who desires to resign must be undertaken by the speaker, he added.

The counsel said the speaker initially a ruling of the then deputy speaker, Qasim Suri, who had accepted en masse resignations of the MNAs on the ground that the due procedure had not been observed.

He said the speaker had told a delegation of the PTI that he will call everyone individually and then verify the resignations.