ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will announce its verdict on multiple petitions pertaining to the duration of disqualification of a parliamentarian under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution at 11am on Friday (today).
The apex court had reserved its decision in the case on February 14.
A five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard multiple petitions seeking court’s directives on the time-period for which a lawmaker could remain disqualified for after being de-seated in violation of Article 62(1)(f) and other election laws.
During the hearing, the court observed that the disqualification would continue for as long as the declaration [signed by electoral candidates declaring them honest] held, adding that the 18th Amendment, passed in 2010, did not determine a period for disqualification.
At an earlier hearing on February 8, the chief justice had acknowledged that the Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution was ambiguous on the matter.
Article 62(1)(f) reads: “A person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) unless-…he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law.”
Friday’s judgement will have consequences for disqualified lawmakers, especially former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen.
On December 15, last year, the Supreme Court had disqualified Tareen for failing to declare an offshore company and a foreign property in his election nomination papers.
Similarly, the then prime minister Nawaz was disqualified by the Supreme Court on July 28, 2017, for concealing in his nomination papers the receivable income from his son’s company in UAE.
Published in Daily Times, April 13th 2018.
