Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has filed another appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the recent election of the Senate chairman, local media reported on Thursday.

The intra-court appeal was submitted by Gillani's counsel Farooq H Naek and asked for the immediate suspension of the decision of the presiding officer. The former prime minister has also pleaded with the IHC to declare a single bench’s decision null and void.

It is important to mention that the presiding officer had rejected seven votes polled in favor of the petitioner in the Senate chairman’s election held on March 12.

Senator Gillani had earlier filed a petition asking the court to nullify the election of Senator Sadiq Sanjarni as the Senate chairman. However, His petition was dismissed by the court.

In his first petition, the opposition leader in the upper house of the Parliament had stated that the IHC should declare the rejection of seven votes polled in favor of the petitioner illegal and suspend the notification dated March 13 regarding the re-election of Sadiq Sanjrani as Senate chairman. The PPP leader had also asked the court to restrain Sanjarni from carrying out his duties in this capacity until this petition is decided.

However, a single-member bench issued a 13-page verdict rejecting Gillani's plea. The IHC judged dismissed the petition saying that the Senate proceedings are immune from interference by the court:

“The grievance of the petitioner exclusively pertains to questioning the validity of proceedings of the upper House of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and thus it is immune from interference by this Court under Article 69 of the Constitution.”