The Supreme Court showed concern over yet another allegedly false statement as it resumed the hearing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda’s appeal against his lifetime disqualification in the dual nationality case.
Waseem Sajjad, the lawyer for the former minister, made reference to Vawda’s US passport and stated that the returning office (RO) was happy to learn that it had been revoked.
A three member-bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik heard the petition.
However, Justice Ayesha Malik responded by saying that the cancelled passport was expired, adding that the RO was shown the passport in 2018, which had already expired in 2015.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah of the Supreme Court remarked that court took up the former federal minister’s petition against a lifetime ban imposed on him by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial remarked that the matter had become quite serious.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that anther ‘lie’ of Vawda had come to the light.
The lawyer argued that the content of the affidavit was the same and that Vawda did not possess passport of another country.
But Justice Shah corrected the lawyer saying that the affidavit declared that Vawda did not possess the nationality of another country.
Following the remarks by the bench, Vawda’s counsel asked for more time for preparation.
Dual nationality case
In February this year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Faisal Vawda for life from parliament for submitting a false affidavit.
According to the decision announced earlier this year, Vawda, who resigned from his MNA seat to become a senator in elections last year, was also told to return all the perks and privileges he received as a member of the National Assembly.
The PTI senator was disqualified by the ECP for violating Article 62(1)(f) which pertains to being “sadiq (truthful) and “amin” (honest). The article provision sets the precondition for a member of parliament and is the same provision under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by Supreme Court on July 28, 2017, in the Panama Papers case.