The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the federal government to submit a written reply on the petition challenging the appointments of 15 special assistants to Prime Minister Imran Khan. A division bench of IHC comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani heard the petition moved by a citizen, Farukh Nawaz Bhatti.

During the hearing, the deputy attorney general representing the federation filed written reply on behalf of 12 twelve special assistants to the PM. He also submitted the resignations of Yousaf Baig Mirza and Iftikhar Durrani, and told Naeemul Haq had passed away.

However, the bench directed him to submit the federation's written reply in the registrar's office and deferred the hearing till March 26 for further proceedings. Farrukh Nawaz Bhatti has filed the petition through his counsel Advocate GM Chaudhary and cited the prime minister and 15 special assistants including the names of Naeemul Haq, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Nadeem Afzal, Ali Nawaz Awan, Zulfi Bukhari, Shahzad Akbar, Dr Moeed Yusuf, Usman Dar, and others as respondents.

Bhatti has sought declaration of sub-rule (6) of Rule 4 of the Rules of Business, 1973, as ultra vires to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, illegal and the appointments of the Respondent Nos 3 to 18 in exercise of the said rule as unconstitutional.

He submitted that all such appointments were liable to be set aside ab initio from their dates of appointment with a further direction to declare the actions, decisions or exercise of any power under any law as well as receipt of any financial benefit including their salaries, allowances, perks, privileges, etc., as illegal, void ab initio, coram non judice and illegal gain and direct for recovery of such salaries, allowances, perks, privileges, etc., from the Respondent No. 3 to 18.