QUETTA, Dec 28: Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar of the Balochistan High Court issued on Friday notices to the deputy speaker and secretary of the provincial assembly on a petition filed by former speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani against his removal through a no-confidence motion.

In the petition filed through Advocate Baz Mohammad Kakar, the former speaker contended that his removal was in violation of the Constitution and rules and procedures of the assembly.

After a preliminary hearing into the petition, the judge asked the deputy speaker and the secretary of Balochistan Assembly to appear before the court on Monday.

Advocate Kakar argued that provisions of the Constitution and rules and procedures of the assembly had been violated while tabling the no-trust motion against Mr Bhootani and holding a ballot on it. He said during the voting on the motion on Wednesday, the legislators had shown their stamped papers to government officials before putting them into the ballot box. It was a violation of public mandate given to them by their voters, he said.

“I filed this petition not to get my office reinstated, but against the unconstitutional and illegal procedure adopted in moving the no-trust motion against me and balloting on it so that such illegal procedure could not be repeated in future,” Mr Bhootani said in the plea.

He was of the opinion that the procedure would set a precedent for future assemblies if the court did not declare it unconstitutional and illegal.

He said the role of the assembly secretary had been completely ignored and he was kept away from the balloting procedure. According to rules of business of the assembly, Mr Bhootani said, signature of the secretary was required on ballot papers, but an additional secretary had been asked to do so in violation of rules.